Heart of a Star
by Voltora
Summary: Sirius returns home for the summer to discover that his mum has fallen in love with a new man a Muggle no less. But Richard's 'perfect gentleman' exterior hides a darker side, one that Sirius must face head on if he's to survive this summer
1. An Unexpected Encounter

**~ Heart of a Star ~**

**_By Voltora_**

**~ Dedicated to Lil Lupin: friend, critic and mentor ~**

**_Authors Notes_**

**_Heart of a Star_**is rated as **PG-13** due to content.  This fic touches on the subject of domestic violence and child abuse. The child abuse is not of a sexual manner and I have kept the swearing to a minimum. If you are not comfortable with reading such material then I ask that you do not continue reading.  

I began writing this fic in September 2002 and was on the verge of completion when **_Order of the Phoenix_** was published in June 2003; therefore, there are considerable differences between the childhood that I have created for Sirius Black and the one portrayed by J.K.Rowling in book 5.

**_Heart of a Star_** is a completed fic; all chapters are written and ready for posting.  There will be weekly posts every Friday, unless fanfiction.net goes down or other technical on-site problems prohibit posting. (If, for any other reason, I am unable to get to a computer to post another chapter, I will make the effort to post on Saturday morning.  Failing that, I will wait until the following Friday.)__

**Disclaimer – **Harry Potter is the legal property of J.K.Rowling; I am merely one of many devoted fans on this site who like to borrow her wonderful creations to improve their writing skills.  (You know, if I _were_ J.K.Rowling, I would never have allowed 'that death' at the end of book 5 to occur! _How could she have done that??_)

Any characters or places that you, as the reader, do not recognise from the books, are products of my own creation unless otherwise stated.  Please ask if you wish to use them in your own fics.  Any similarity between this fic and any other that has been posted prior to Friday 4th July 2003 is simply coincidental and non-intentional.

**Chapter One; An Unexpected Encounter**

The Hogwarts Express thundered down the tracks, the pistons clacking loudly as the train raced south towards London. A steady gush of white steam clouds billowed up into the clear blue sky that shone with a warm July sun.

The students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were sad to be leaving school, yet happily anticipating the start of their summer holiday.

Some more so than others.

'You guys are going to _have_ to come over to my place again this summer,' Lily Evans said between giggles. 'I need to get Pet back for throwing out my tank of frogspawn … again.'

'Not an animal lover, I take it?' asked Remus Lupin in mock concern. 'Why, Lily, had I known I wouldn't have suggested it as a birthday gift!'

'But she seemed so jealous of Kali,' said Lily, almost mournfully as she stroked the brindle-coloured tabby cat that was purring contentedly on her lap. 'I really thought Petunia would appreciate my getting her a pet.'

'I guess the high pitched, nasal squealing of "Urgh! Oh, Mummy, Lily's put some more of those disgusting, slimy beasties in my room again!" didn't hint that maybe she didn't like the idea of raising her own amphibians?' said Sirius Black, his eyebrows raised.

'Maybe it wasn't subtle enough?' suggested James Potter.

Lily grinned mischievously. 'Actually, I was thinking that she may prefer something furry next time.' Lily's emerald green eyes sparkled in Peter Pettigrew's direction. Peter gave a nervous laugh.

'Hey, I hope you plan to include the rest of us,' said Sirius pointedly. 'Don't leave us out.'

'Wouldn't dream of it.'

The five of them exchanged knowing smiles. Remus looked especially happy and no one was in any doubt why.

Ever since their second year and the revelation of Remus' lycanthropy, James, Sirius and Peter had been constantly researching and repeatedly attempting a very complicated, and highly dangerous, piece of magic; the Animagus Transformation.

This was the learned ability to transform into a single animal form by force of will. It had taken the best part of three years to discover and piece together the complete works regarding Animagi and to succeed in the actual change.

The entire purpose of attempting such an illegal procedure was so that they would be able to keep Remus company on the nights of the full moon, working on a theory that werewolves were only a threat to humans. 

It had not been easy. When Remus had first caught wind of what his friends were up to, he did everything he could to discourage them, and then later stall their efforts by removing the books they needed from the Restricted Section of the library and hiding them away, determined to stop them from endangering themselves.

Lily also discovered the illegal venture and almost went straight to Professor McGonagall and the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, before James and Sirius explained exactly why and how they going about it. Despite her initial objections, Lily finally accepted that the purpose of their plan wasn't entirely selfish and warmed to the idea. James even offered Lily the opportunity to join them but she adamantly refused to have any more than a research contribution to their efforts. Privately, Lily felt they had no chance of success, no matter that James and Sirius were top of the year and very skilled in Transfiguration. The magic was just too far advanced for a trio of thirteen-year-old wizards. Nevertheless, Lily made a point of doing all she could to ensure that none of them ever got hurt.

Then, three years later, in early February, James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew exceeded their own expectations by finally undergoing their very first successful transformation into their respective animal forms; stag, dog and rat. When the three of them excitedly showed Remus what they'd accomplished, he'd been so overcome that he'd gone into shock and burst into happy tears.

But while celebrations were undeniably in order, the real test came with the full moon a week later.

The residents of Hogsmeade were in for a terrific fright when the old haunted house, known as the Shrieking Shack, emitted a chorus of unearthly howls and strange bellows from the depths of the building one night. Anyone who might have taken a few minutes to listen to the sounds may have believed them to be almost joyous, as though the restless spirits imprisoned within were celebrating.  But the absurdity of such a statement went unspoken.

What fuelled the rumour mill among the students at the school at about the same time were the bizarre nicknames that the mischievous quartet suddenly began referring to one another with. Collectively known as the Marauders, the four Gryffindor boys relished the puzzlement their new names caused among the staff and their fellow students, especially as they were very careful never to reveal even a hint of the origin of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. There was some speculation but none of the rumours came anywhere close to the truth.

The next four full moons passed with a new development in the Marauders' night-time excursions. Under the cover of darkness, a fully-grown werewolf, accompanied by a handsome red-brown stag, a huge bear-like dog and a plump grey rat began to roam the extensive grounds of Hogwarts and the Forbidden Forest, revelling in the wondrous sensation of their new forms, running wild beneath the glowing orb of the moon above.

Ever growing in confidence, the Marauders were gradually making their way into the school building itself, spurred on by the discovery of a secret passage. On a passing comment from James, the notion of a plan of the castle and grounds was quickly planted into their minds.

The Marauders Map, though far from completed, was slowly but surely developing, each section of the castle carefully drawn by James' steady hand and labelled in Remus' perfectly neat and minuscule writing.  

Sirius had grown increasingly impatient for each full moon to be able to run under the stars with Prongs, Wormtail and Moony, venturing into the darkest depths of the forest or to explore the ever-shifting layout of the castle. 

Despite the risk of meeting an unwary student or patrolling staff member during their forays into the castle, Remus wasn't overly concerned as long as Prongs and Padfoot were by his side. He had been noticeably overjoyed at Sirius' Animagus form. Since the animal form had to effectively emerge from deep within the wizards' subconscious, they had no choice as to what form they would take. Sirius had been pretty chuffed at the result.

Remus, having been very shy and withdrawn when he'd first arrived at Hogwarts, had only truly begun to open up to people after James, Sirius and Peter had shown him that it didn't matter to them that he was a werewolf. Friendship had been something Remus had very little experience of, yet it didn't stop him from forming a close friendship with Sirius, more so than with James or Peter, which seemed to show on another level as the Animagus Transformation was achieved. Now, both in canine forms, the two celebrated the closeness of their friendship by the full moons, and the strange circumstances that had brought them together.

But now the school term was over and the summer holiday had arrived. To the Marauders' dismay, there were to be two full moons over the six-week break, which they would all be separated on. There was no chance that they could come together on those nights without running the serious risk of revealing their illegal magic. Seeing as how they were very much underage to even consider the Transformation, on which there was a twenty-four year old minimum age limit, the legal consequences included time in Azkaban, the wizard prison. Needless to say, none dared to run _that_ particular risk.

So the Marauders set about arranging alternative ventures to make up for it.

'Padfoot, are you sure your mum doesn't mind having us over for a week?' asked James, biting the head off a Chocolate Frog.

'She won't even know we're there,' said Sirius. 'Mum's practically chained to that cauldron; she'll be in her lab most of the time. She only surfaces to forage for food.'

'Is she still working on those revival concoctions then?' asked Lily.

Sirius thought hard.

'I'm not sure really. She did spew a lot of medical jargon I could barely follow last time I saw her at Easter, but she did seem really pleased so I'll take a stab at yes, she is and it's going well … apparently.'

'So I guess we'd better lay off pulling a prank on her this year.' James squirmed guiltily. Remus gave him a sidelong look.

'I second that. Personally I'd like to avoid scrubbing octopus ink off the ceiling again.'

'How was I to know the mugwort roots would combust like that? I never heard anyone mention that fact, Moony. We _all_ agreed to it.'

'True. But I was the one who suggested we try it on Ursa, _not_ Sirius' mum. At least your sister has a sense of humour, Padfoot.'

'We can get her this year instead.' Sirius grinned, rubbing his hands together gleefully. 'Oh, she is going to pay for dressing Cosmic up in that stupid bonnet and ribbons.'

A distinct mew of agreement sounded above their heads. Cosmic, Sirius' black cat, was stretched out on the luggage rack, looking down on them all with his large green eyes, his long tail swinging back and forth with the rocking of the train.

'Mind you, the pink _did_ kinda suit him,' laughed James, ducking to avoid the angry swipe of a paw.

A shrill whistle echoed down the compartments, signalling the train's arrival into the outskirts of London. The Marauders had just changed out of their robes as the Express pulled into Kings Cross Station.

Sirius waved to Cosmic and patted his shoulder. The cat leapt lightly down from the luggage rack to drape himself around Sirius' neck and shoulders like a furry scarf.

The train came to a halt, jolting everyone and their trunks forward. The doors slid open onto a crowded platform of waiting parents. A sudden torrent of students poured out in an effort to locate families before the platform became swamped.

The Marauders hung back, gathering their belongings and seizing heavy trunks, waiting for a lull in the flow of students outside the compartment door.

A second year student staggered into the compartment, dragging her trunk behind her, leaving it half out in the corridor where several people proceeded to trip over it and bruise their feet. The girl was dressed in Muggle clothes but had neglected to remover her hat, which was slighted too large for her.  She tilted her head back to see out from under the brim.

'Siri?' came a sweet, innocent-sounding voice.

Sirius rolled his eyes, reached over and lifted the hat up, holding it just above the girl's head, smiling good-naturedly at the impish grin on her face, not unlike his own.

A pair of pale blue eyes shone from beneath a shining mass of raven black hair, which tumbled out from the confines of the hat and all over her pretty face.

'Hi Ursa!' said Lily, smiling. 'Had a good term?'

Ursa nodded.

'I can't wait for next year,' she said breathlessly. 'I'll get to study Arithmancy!'

Sirius raised an eyebrow at his little sister.

'You are _very_ strange. I swear one of us is adopted.'

He dropped the hat back onto her head and pulled it down over her eyes.

'It has to be you. Mum would have refused to have another kid if you'd arrived first,' Ursa retorted from under the brim.

'Must be; she saw how much trouble you were going to be and decided to adopt an older brother for you to keep you in line.'

'And look what happened!'

'Poor Mum - most of her ideas don't backfire so drastically.'

Diving out into the corridor, the Marauders made their way out onto the platform, amid a surging mass of bodies and temporarily abandoned trunks. Cat baskets and owl cages were held aloft as students edged slowly towards the barrier that led out onto the Muggle station.

James, the tallest of the four, craned his neck to see above the crowd. Sirius grabbed his little sister's hand tightly before the surging crowd could force them apart.

The guard at the barrier was letting people out a few at a time so as not to startle the Muggles. As the platform slowly emptied, the Marauders were able to make their way gradually over to where they could see Mr. and Mrs. Lupin.

Mrs. Lupin hurried forward the instant she spotted her son and gave him a hug, then quickly checked him over, asking in a low whisper how he was. Remus assured his mother he was fine, clearly hoping she wasn't about to make a fuss in front of his friends. Mr. Lupin smiled and greeted the Marauders politely. There was a sense of deep gratitude from both the senior Lupins, since they were both fully aware that James, Sirius, Peter and Lily knew of Remus' condition yet held no prejudice against him.

'See you in a few weeks!' James and Sirius yelled simultaneously as the Lupins made their departure, Remus waving back at them as the guard motioned them through the barrier.

Peter vanished as his mother swept him away with only a few words of greeting and goodbye. He smiled apologetically as he disappeared into the crowd, squeaking a brief 'Bye!'

Lily's face spilt into a broad grin as her parents emerged from the crowd. Both were Muggles and a little wary of the mysteriously concealed platform, though equally happy to see their daughter running to meet them.

Skulking behind them, gripping her father's arm in a vice-like grip with her eyes screwed shut as though she were scared to death and repulsed by where she was, was Lily's older sister, Petunia.

Sirius was firmly convinced that one or the other was truly adopted. Unlike Ursa and himself, there was nothing that Lily or Petunia had in common to joke and tease each other about. Lily had beautiful dark red hair, bright green eyes and a slender figure developing while her sister was rake-thin with lank blond hair and murky blue eyes that held nothing but scorn as they reluctantly opened on her father's request to greet her sister. Sullenly, Pet mumbled a hello, clearly wanting to leave, preferably without her freak witch sister. Lily responded pleasantly enough to her less-than-enthusiastic sibling, though she had long given up on tolerance, much less acceptance from her.

Catching the elder Evans daughter's eye, Sirius gave a wicked smile in unison with James. Recognition flooded Pet's fearful gaze, shifting to Lily, hissing urgently between gritted teeth. Lily looked back over her shoulder at the two of them who instantly assumed virtuous smiles and meek postures that screamed innocence. 

Lily wasn't fooled for a second. She gave them both a pointed look; _Stop teasing her … that's my job. _

Obediently, they refined from approaching. Waving goodbye, the two of them set off in search of James' parents, Ursa behind them who waved cheerfully back at the Evans. Pet shuddered, her lip curling.

'James! James, over here!'

Mr. Potter's voice broke through the background noise. James spun round and caught sight of his father moving towards them.

'There you are. I must have been up and down the platform twice.' Ian Potter was a tall, strapping man with James' untidy black hair. He looked about the bustling crowd in dismay. 'Well, could be worse, I suppose. Did you have a good term, James? Sirius?'

James and Sirius grinned mischievously, sneaking sly glances at one another. Ian raised a hand to silence them just as they opened their mouths to reply.

'No, on second thoughts, the number of owls we've had is a fair indication. Do the two of you intend to break some sort of record?'

'Absolutely Dad. We're already on our way to achieving the most number of detentions than any previous student; doesn't that make you feel proud?'

Ian fixed his son with a mildly stern glare.

'So long as you keep those marks up, I'll have no reason to punish you.'

He held out his hand expectantly.

James dug into his pocket and pulled out a parchment envelope. Ian transferred the exam results to his own pocket without opening it. 'Your mother will want to see these. I trust she _will_ be pleased?'

James nodded fervently.

'Sirius, how did your OWLs go?'

'Pretty well, actually. Potions was a bit iffy but I did okay on the rest.'

As they talked, the four of them left platform nine and three quarters and headed out into Muggle London. A large Ministry car was parked just across the road, waiting for them.

Their three heavy trunks disappeared into the cavernous boot of the car while James, Sirius and Ursa piled into the backseat together. Cosmic, refusing to get into his carrier basket, settled himself on Ursa's lap where he sat quietly as she stroked and whispered to him. Ian got into the front seat beside the driver and they set off through the busy traffic, weaving through the tightest gaps with ease and snaking its way to the middle of a slow moving queue heading out of London.

'Are you going to see your father this summer, Sirius?' asked James as they emerged on the motorway.

'I hope so,' said Sirius. 'We haven't seen him for ages, have we, Ursa?'

'No. We saw him at Christmas, though.' Ursa smiled but her eyes were sombre. 'He promised he'd see us for longer this time.'

'Ministry keeping him busy then?'

'Yeah,' said Sirius sadly. 'But he's been clocking up so much overtime they owe him lots of holiday.'

'He did say in his last owl that he'd try to take some time off soon to spend with us,' Ursa added. She looked to her brother. 'Didn't he?'

'Course he did. You know Dad doesn't make a promise he won't keep.'

'Well, let us know won't you, Padfoot? Can't go planning pranks with only three-quarters of the Marauders around. It's not the same otherwise.'

The journey passed quickly and without incident. In next to no time, the Ministry car had pulled up outside Sirius' home in Buckinghamshire.

'Thanks for the lift, Mr. Potter,' said Sirius politely.

'Yes, thank you,' Ursa added, after a prompting nudge.

'No problem, you two. Do you want a hand with those trunks?'

'No thanks, we can manage.'

The moment the car door was open Cosmic sprang out and darted over the low front garden wall, across the driveway and down the side of the house to the back door cat-flap. Sirius and Ursa grabbed their trunks and dragged them up the drive as the car drove away, Sirius yelling, 'See ya, Prongs!' and James shouting a reply just as the Potters swung round the corner.

Halfway to the door, Sirius paused. He looked over the house. It looked exactly the same as he remembered it from last summer, but ... somehow ... something was different. Ursa looked curiously over her shoulder at him.

'Siri? What's wrong?'

'I'm not sure.' Sirius' gaze swept up and down the street behind him. It looked like the perfectly normal Muggle street that it was. And yet he just knew the difference wasn't a visible thing. He shivered, trying to shake the feeling off. It was probably nothing. He was being silly. 'Never mind. Let's just get inside, and drag Mum away from her beloved cauldron.'

The front door key was hidden under a loose brick in the doorstep. Sirius opened up the door, dragging his trunk over the threshold. Ursa followed suit, banging it into the doorframe.

Dropping it in the hallway Sirius was just about to call to his mother when a stranger came out of the kitchen. Both of them froze, staring at each other. Sirius warily eyed the man, Ursa peering curiously around her brother.

The stranger was about five foot eight with large muscular arms. His short brown hair was receding from his forehead. At a guess, Sirius placed his age at late thirties, if not early forties. Cold, slate-grey eyes met Sirius' pale blue ones, then looked him up and down like the man was trying to assess something. Sirius felt rather uncomfortable and disconcerted. A friendly smile abruptly wiped away the prior calculating stare as though the man was satisfied with what he saw.

'Hello there,' he said. His voice was deep and smooth, his grey eyes watching Sirius expectantly.

Sirius was about to demand that the stranger identify himself when, at that moment, there came a clatter of feet from the kitchen and Sirius' mother, Andromeda, appeared at the man's shoulder. She didn't seem to notice the awkwardness of the situation. Instead she seemed flustered, looking from Sirius to Ursa like she barely recognised them.

'Sirius? Ursa? What are you two doing home?'

'School term's over,' said Sirius, not taking his eyes off the stranger.

'Mum!'

Ursa threw herself into her mother's arms. Andromeda seemed to wake up at that moment; she hugged her daughter briefly, realised that Sirius was staring at the man by her side, and straightened up, smiling apologetically.

'Oh, how rude of me. Sirius, Ursa, I'd like you to meet Richard.' She beamed up at the man. Richard nodded politely. Robotically, almost. He held out a hand to Ursa who was nearest.

'A pleasure to meet you, Ursa.' He smiled warmly as Ursa shyly took his hand. 'Why, Ann, you never told me how lovely your daughter is. Quite the charmer.' Ursa giggled, her face turning red. 'Yes, you are certainly as beautiful as your mother, and there I was thinking that wasn't possible.' Richard smoothly winked up at Andromeda who went an even deeper shade of red than Ursa.

Sirius stayed where he was.

Slowly, Richard moved towards him, his hand outstretched, and his smile somewhat fixed, like a stone statue.

Sirius eyed the hand warily. When he didn't take it, Andromeda glared sternly at him, mouthing 'Be polite!'

Reluctantly, Sirius shook Richard's hand, forcing his face into a small, half-hearted smile, muttering, 'Hello,' rather stiffly.

'Nice to meet you … er … Sirius,' Richard boomed cheerfully. 'Such an unusual name, I must say.'

'My father chose it.' Sirius fixed Richard with an accusing stare.

Richard looked rather taken aback. Straightening his jacket, he turned to Andromeda with an uncertain smile.

'Well … er … I really ought to be going. It's getting late. I'll see you soon.'

Andromeda's face lit up like a star.

'Yes, of course!'

And to Sirius' absolute disgust, Richard leaned over and kissed his mother on the lips. Ursa stared, taking a step back, not sure whether to look away or watch.

They broke apart, Andromeda gazing into Richard's eyes adoringly, oblivious to her children's presence.

Sirius pushed past them into the kitchen. Going straight to the cupboard he yanked it open, grabbed the nearest glass and shoved it closed. It slammed louder than he'd intended but the loud bang was oddly satisfying.

Pouring a glass of fruit juice and slopping some over the table, he only just caught a few low murmurings at the front door, then the sound of it being closed. Sirius didn't look up as his mother came and stood in the doorway, her arms folded. Sirius focused on his juice, trying to determine where the pineapple taste that was promised on the bottle was.

'Sirius.'

Nope, all he could taste was grapefruit and citrus.

'Sirius, did you really have to be so rude?'

The glass hit the table with a hollow clunk. Half turning his head, he asked, 'Who is that guy?'

Andromeda looked perplexed.

'His name's Richard. Weren't you listening when I told you?'

'No, what I meant was, who _is_ that guy? What was he doing here?' 

Andromeda seemed pained. She sat down opposite Sirius, her light brown hair tousled in a frizzy mess. Her eyes drew Sirius' sullen gaze, sad and rueful.

'Oh, honey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for Richard to stay so long … you just got home earlier than I thought you would. I was hoping to introduce him properly tomorrow.'

'Yeah, it would have been nice to have had some sort of warning,' said Sirius, staring morosely at the table, 'instead of seeing you kiss some total stranger in the hall the minute I get home from school.'

'Richard isn't a stranger,' she insisted gently. 'We met just after Easter and … well … we starting spending some time together.' 

'So you've been going out for how long?' Sirius asked, his voice flat.

'Officially? Two months.'

Sirius nodded glumly. Andromeda gave him an exasperated look.

'Sirius, I don't want you thinking that I'm being unfaithful to your father or something silly like that. We _are_ divorced now and I for one would like to get on with my life.' She reached for his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. 'I'm sorry it's clearly started off on the wrong foot but I'd really love for you and Ursa to give Richard a chance. Get to know him before you condemn the poor guy. Think you can give him a chance? For me? Please, Star?'

At the mention of his childhood pet name, Sirius took a deep, calming breath, taking it in slowly and letting it out after a five second count.

'Okay,' he said softly, quite steadily this time.

'Thank you, Sirius. I _really_ appreciate it. Tomorrow, you , Ursa and Richard can start again over dinner.'

'Dinner? Er, Mum, no offence, but your cooking skills are … well … _lacking_. In taste. Nutritional value. Edible parts.'

At this, Andromeda gave her son a beseeching smile, her eyes wide and pleading.

Sirius groaned. 'Oh, Mum …'

'Oh, but you can really work magic in the kitchen! I'm frightened of scaring Richard off if I dare cook a meal.' She hesitated for a moment, and then said clearly and carefully, 'But there is one thing I must make very clear, Sirius … Richard is a Muggle.'

Sirius looked up at her in surprise. He thought hard for a moment.

'So he doesn't know we're magic?' he asked slowly.

'No, he doesn't, and it's going to stay that way. At the moment I don't think it would be a good idea to tell him, so I want all magic items, references - everything … to be kept secret. Okay?'

Sirius raised an eyebrow at this.

'But, Mum, my friends are coming over for a week, remember? I wrote and asked you over a month ago and you said it was okay.'

'Well, I'm sorry Sirius but it's just not a good idea now. Richard comes and goes a lot and I don't want him to overhear anything strange or obscure that he'll be sure to question. To reveal the existence of magic to an unsuspecting Muggle must be done very delicately. 'Andromeda paled anxiously at the thought. 'I really want to make sure he won't go away believing we're crazy or delusional.'

'So they can't come over,' said Sirius moodily.

'No.'

Sirius slumped in his chair, disbelievingly. How unfair was that?

'You can still go over and see them, Sirius. There's no need for the long face. It's just how things are right now.'

Andromeda rose and gave him a hug.

'Don't worry your handsome self about it. Everything will work out fine, you'll see.' She kissed him on the cheek. 'Welcome home,' she said, and left the kitchen.

Sirius stared blankly at the wall.

'Yeah. Great to be back,' he muttered bitterly. 

*

**To Be Continued**

*

**_Please review.  All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated. _**


	2. Dining Dissension

Chapter Two; Dining Dissension 

By the time Sirius awoke the next morning, the fact that his mother had a boyfriend had finally sunk in.  Not that that made it any easier to bear.

Andromeda and Orion Black had divorced just over three years ago, after several years of a rocky marriage consisting of numerous fights and arguments.  Their main dispute was over the serious lack of time they had for one another and their children.  Andromeda worked as part of a potions research and development team.  Potions were her passion in life and she spent most of her time either at the team's central laboratory in Devon or in her own laboratory at home during the summer so that she could be there when Sirius and Ursa were back from school.

Orion had a full time job as a member of the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol and was a highly skilled Hit Wizard.  Unfortunately, the demands of his job kept him away from his family for long periods of time and was often the catalyst that sparked off yet another fight.

Sirius and Ursa rarely witnessed their parents fighting, often taking refuge in their rooms or across the road with their neighbour and her children.  But the aftermath of the fights always hung over the whole family like a dark cloud.  The relationship gradually deteriorated to the point where the only thing that Andromeda and Orion could agree on was to separate and file for a divorce.

After nearly three years of marriage feuding, Orion Black moved out with obligations to pay child support and a mutual agreement with his ex-wife to spend as much time with his son and daughter as work would allow.

Just before he left, Orion had made his children a very solemn promise; that he wasn't going to just disappear out of their lives, and that they would still be a family.

The promise did make the separation a little easier for Ursa, but privately Sirius was still waiting for his father to keep to his word.  Letters passed between them on a fairly regular basis but work and school just complicated the arrangement of holidays or even just a day out together.  Not that Sirius could really blame his father for that; it wasn't for lack of trying.  Several times arrangements organised weeks in advance had been postponed or forgotten about when the Ministry needed Orion for some catastrophe or another that they couldn't deal with without him.  Personally Sirius didn't believe it to be a viable excuse but he couldn't be mad at his father for long.  He missed him a lot when he wasn't around.

Orion and Andromeda, when they did come face to face, were stiff and formal with each other, trying to avoid unnecessary arguments for their children's sake and confrontations were often very brief.

Ursa had often confided in Sirius her belief that their mum and dad would get back together.  Sirius knew the truth however; they were better off apart.

Yet it had never occurred to him that either one of them might find another partner.  He didn't feel that they shouldn't; it just didn't feel right to him.

Making his way downstairs to the kitchen, Sirius couldn't help but notice how many small changes had occurred since last summer, that he hadn't noticed the night before.

The framed photographs down the stairs and in the hallway had gone, replaced by strangely motionless paintings.  The talking mirror was nowhere to be seen.  The open fireplace in the living room was empty and the jar of Floo powder that normally rested on the mantel was gone.  In the kitchen, the post-owl perch that hung outside the window had been removed.  

All in all, it felt rather bare and strange.  It didn't feel like home.

Cosmic was lying awake on the backdoor mat, staring unblinkingly at the empty dish before him, as though trying to will his breakfast into existence.

'Greedy cat,' said Sirius, scooping up the bowl and grabbing a tin of cat food out of the cupboard.  Cosmic weaved between his legs, mewing hungrily.

Ursa entered the kitchen, dressed in a pale purple dressing gown with matching slippers, haphazardly making a bowl of cereal with her eyes only half open.

'Morning!'  Sirius flashed a big open-mouthed, perky smile at her, eyes wide and staring.

Ursa spared just enough energy to frown sleepily at him, grunting in response.

'Ah, you're not awake yet?'

Monotone grunt.

'Any sign of Mum?'

Ursa made some sort of grumbling noise that Sirius interpreted as a no.

'Oh, come on, wake up.'  Sirius shoved her shoulder.  Ursa swatted his hand away.  'I'm not having you moping around with that face if you're staying in here.  Cheer up!'

'No.'

'Ah, it _does _speak something other than Troll.'

'You're just sore that I'm not going to stuck in here all day,' said Ursa haughtily.

'This is a first,' said Sirius, looking stunned.  'A complete sentence before nine o'clock.  You feeling okay?'

However difficult Ursa found it to form coherent phrases so early in the morning, Sirius silently had to admit that she was right.  Nevertheless, later that afternoon, Sirius set about his mother's request without fuss.  Cooking was rather enjoyable once you got the hang of it.  The kitchen was soon full of enticing smells and warm smoke.

While a pan of butter and oil was warming up, Sirius carefully sliced up some onions, his eyes stinging madly.  Repeatedly wiping away the tears, Sirius was on the verge of ditching this recipe when Ursa walked in, considerably more awake than she'd been earlier that morning.

'There's no need to get so upset, Siri,' she said sweetly.  'It's only an onion.'

'Sympathy pains,' Sirius grumbled, reaching for a cloth.  'How would you like to be hacked into pieces with a sharp knife and eaten?'

Ursa smirked.

'Do chef's always get emotional over their vegetables, or is it just you personally?'

'Are you going to stand there all day spouting smart remarks or are you going to make yourself useful and set the table?'

'Oh, but this is more fun.'

'Ursa, stop taunting your brother.'  Andromeda bustled into the room, her arms full of parchment notes and test results.  She looked tired and dejected.

'How's the research going?' asked Sirius, more out of habit than genuine interest.

'Urgh, badly.'  Andromeda dumped the papers on the table.  'It's been over a fortnight and we're no nearer to figuring this one out.  The formula just won't balance out and I can't figure out where it's going wrong.'

She looked around the kitchen, sniffing the air.

'What's that smell?'

'Sirius didn't wash this morning,' said Ursa, grinning.  

'Go set the table Ursa before you force me to hurt you,' said Sirius, mockingly raising the little knife he held, making slight stabbing motions in the air.  Ursa snatched up some cutlery from the drawer and left the room.  'Please tell me she's adopted,' he added to his mother.  She ignored the comment.

'So what are you making for tonight?' she asked.

'Fegato alla Veneziana!' Sirius declared dramatically in a fair attempt at an Italian accent.

His mother rolled her eyes and assumed a long-suffering look.

'In English, please?'

'Liver and onions,' Sirius nodded towards the colander by the sink, which contained a generous amount of sliced liver coated in flour, waiting for the pan to heat up.  'I hope he's not a vegetarian.'

'He isn't.'

'Good, I didn't want to start over.'  Ursa came back from the dining room.  Sirius swiftly placed a carton of eggs into her hands.  'There you go, sis.  You can do the pudding, save me doing it.'

'What are we having?' she asked.

'Something called …' he squinted at the open cookbook which helpfully flipped over several pages to the right recipe.  'Zabaglione,' he said slowly, trying to pronounce it correctly.  'You'll need some dry white wine, that's in the cabinet in the hall - and grab the marsala while you're there,' he added as she disappeared again.

Andromeda peered disapprovingly over his shoulder at the book.

'Sirius, I don't want your sister drinking wine.  And you're still too young for it as well, really.'

'Mum, I'm sixteen.  Anyway, she won't be drinking it, it's going in the pudding.'

'An alcoholic pudding?'  Andromeda raised an eyebrow questioningly.

'Yes, all right, Mum, I confess; the purpose of the pudding is to get Ursa drunk,' said Sirius placidly.  'Do we have any strawberries?'

'Sirius -'

'I won't let her drink any, I promise.'

'Good.  By the way, I've had a look at your OWL results.'

Sirius nervously looked up from tossing the onions into the pan.

'And?'

Andromeda smiled.

'And I think we have one very clever young man in the family.'  Sirius flushed, slightly embarrassed.  'Twelve OWLs certainly aren't very easy to achieve.  Though I daresay you only just scraped through Potions?'

Sirius shrugged.  'I got it, so what's the problem?'

'The problem is that you excel in every other subject available yet only perform at a satisfactory standard in a subject that your mother is considered a professional in.'

'What's wrong with that?  Everyone has something they're not particularly good at.  Potions just happen to be mine.'

'But Sirius, I don't understand how you can be such a natural in the kitchen yet you can barely master the basics of potion brewing.  Shouldn't one go with the other?  I mean, there really isn't that much difference, is there?'

Sirius snorted.

'This is coming from someone who is incredibly skilled in potions development yet who seemingly graduated from the 'When It's Black, It's Done, School of Cookery'!'

'Cheeky!'  Andromeda laughed, playfully aiming a backhand to Sirius' head.  'If that's what you think, I'm going back to my lab.'

'Fine.  See you next summer then, will we?'

'Hopefully I'll have discovered a Manners Potion by then.  Care to help me test it?'

'Not after last time.  I'd like to keep my hair, thank you _very_ much!'

'It was an honest mistake -'

'But you're supposed to know what these mixtures are going to do!'

'Side effects are always a risk.'

'Gee, thanks for the warning.'

'Get back to work, Sirius.'

Sirius mockingly snapped a salute as she left for the lab.

'Yes, ma'am!  Oh -'

The onions were smoking.

'Onions ready, are they?'  Ursa smirked, sensibly keeping out of arms reach as she came back in.

'What took you so long?  Sampling the wine?  Naughty girl.'

'Ruined the dinner?  Mum will be pleased.'

'It's no worse than her culinary delights.  Come on, hurry up.  Those eggs need beating.'

*

At six o'clock Sirius and Ursa served up dinner with a minimum of mishaps (Sirius decided against mentioning that Ursa had been slightly over generous with the wine in the pudding) just as Richard arrived, armed with a bunch of pale orange roses for Andromeda.

Once they'd sat down Richard appeared to approve of the meal before him.  Indeed, after the first forkful, he sighed like he'd never tasted anything so delicious.

'Ann, I have to say your many talents just continue to amaze me,' he purred to Andromeda.  'Where did you learn to cook?'

Andromeda laughed airily.

'Oh no, I couldn't open a tin of beans without making a mess of it.  Sirius cooked for us.'

'Really?'  Richard turned to Sirius in mild surprised.  'Well, it's very impressive.'

'Err … thanks.'  Sirius slowly scraped some more liver onto his fork, avoiding eye contact, hoping Richard wasn't about to ask where he'd_ learnt to cook.  His mother would not be happy about Sirius bringing up his father again.  But Richard had already moved on to the next topic of conversation._

'So, Sirius, your mother tells me that you and your sister go to boarding school?'

'Err,' said Sirius again, casting a wary eye over to his mother.  Andromeda was looking nervous, fiddling with her wineglass, clearly praying that Sirius wasn't about to put his foot in it.

'Yes,' said Sirius carefully.  'It's up in Scotland.'

'Interesting,' Richard smiled warmly, leaning forward.  'Do you like it there?'

'Definitely.  I love it.'

'You enjoy your lessons, then?  Which is your favourite?' 

_Muggle Studies right about now._

Sirius thought fast.  'I like Geography,' he said evenly, thinking of the Marauders' Map.  'But I can't stand History.'

'Yeah, it's really boring,' Ursa piped up.  'Most of my class fall asleep.'

'Neither of you like History?'  Richard frowned.  'But History is what makes the present what it is.'

'Full of boring History lessons?' said Sirius jokingly.  'Our teacher's so dull he can even make the wars and gory battles sound boring.'

'History is very important,' Richard said sternly.  'You should have more respect for it and your tutor.'

'Sirius did ever so well in his exams,' Andromeda interjected quickly.  'He's come top of the year several times.'

'I see … and what about you, Ursa?  Did you have any exams this year?'

Ursa nodded.  'I passed all of them,' she said smugly.

Andromeda took advantage of Richard's distraction to nudge Sirius hard with her foot.  Sirius was starting to get fed up.  Richard was not rising in his estimation very much at all.

Then something else touched his leg, rubbing up against him.  A pair of bright green eyes blinked up at him from under the table.  Cosmic turned round, arched his back and purred.

Sirius gingerly picked up a slice of liver from his plate with his fingers and lowered it under the table.  Richard noticed; he leaned over and lifted up the tablecloth as Cosmic delicately took the liver from Sirius' hand.

'What is that … _thing_ … doing here?'  he exclaimed.

Sirius straightened up.  '_He_ lives here.  Is that a problem?'

'It is when it takes food from the table,' said Richard pompously.

'But Cosmic didn't take it, I gave it to him.'

Richard's cold eyes narrowed.

'Clearly you lack common sense.  Do you not realise how unsanitary that it?  Animals carry all sorts of germs.  That is a high risk of infection and cross-contamination.'

'But I've always done this and I've never caught anything.  Cosmic is perfectly healthy. He doesn't even have fleas,' Sirius protested stubbornly.

'My point is animals should not be allowed anywhere near food that is designated for human consumption.  You may not care about your own health but do you not consider other people's?  I dread to think what may have tainted this liver if that cat's been near it.'  He put his knife and fork down, and pushed his plate away.

Ursa looked very confused, eyeing her next forkful that she'd been about to put in her mouth.  Sirius was glaring stonily at Richard, about to tell him what he could do with the liver if he didn't like it, when -

'Richard's quite right.  Sirius, will you put Cosmic outside or put him in your room, please?'

Sirius stared at his mother.

'Mum, Cosmic was never anywhere _near_ the liver, or even the kitchen!'

'I don't care.  Take him up to your room,' she said firmly.

Richard's face contorted with further puzzlement, squinting at Sirius.

'The cat belongs to you?'

'Why, something wrong with that too?'  Sirius snapped, earning him a very angry look from his mother.

'It's just that I wouldn't expect a boy to own such a feminine creature.  A feline is a woman's pet,' said Richard.

Cosmic made a snarling sound in his throat.  Sirius pushed back his chair, scooped the cat up in his arms and abruptly left the room without another word.  Luckily, the stairs and bedroom door were quite capable of making a noise.

With a loud meow of protest, Cosmic was dropped onto the bed.  Sirius sat down heavily, scowling.

'What a _git_,' he muttered.  'If he thinks that he can tell me what I can or can't do in my own home, he's got another think coming.'

Cosmic yowled, annoyed at the lack of food.  Sirius stroked him gently, taking a few minutes to calm down, the cat settling down beside him.

Grinning slyly, Sirius withdrew a napkin of liver slices from his pocket.  Cosmic's eyes widened and he purred loudly, licking the area around his mouth with his soft pink tongue.

'See?  Never underestimate a Marauder's sleight of hand.'

Feeling slightly better, Sirius slowly made his way back downstairs.

*

To Be Continued 

*  

**_Please review.  All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated._**

****

**_*_**

Authors Notes

**MorganD** – Hi Morgan! Glad to have you back! *hugs* Just so you know, my Beta Lil Lupin and I have gone over this fic several times, weeding out the mistakes and errors, so if you do spot some, there shouldn't be many at all. ^_^   And sorry about the 'weekly' postings; I just wanted enough time to get going on my next project.  It's going to be another lengthy one and I don't particularly want to go for months without posting anything; hence my 'post-slowly-and-stall-for-time' approach. 

**NightSpear** – You've been checking my profile daily? Wow *sits stunned and grins stupidly*  I did pay attention when you suggested posting comments as to how far the fic had progressed on my bio but I didn't know if anyone was actually reading them – thank you!    

**Yoda** – *squeals delightedly*  YODA! *hugs*  Hi! Great to have you back (again).  ^_^   I will read YoS as soon as I can – just need to fine-tune this one (last minute corrections and such)   Jealous? Don't be – I had a lot of help. Aren't Beta's great?!   Wish I'd had the sense to find one when I first started writing, my first 'efforts' wouldn't have been such a mess if I had.  Oh well, live, write and learn, I guess.  Yep, Ursa, another 'starry' name.  I did originally have Sirius' mother named Ursa, or Ursula, and his sister was to be Andromeda; but Andromeda is such a mouthful and I didn't want Sirius to keep shortening it to Ann or Annie, so I swapped them.   Head in a cauldron?  I have made Andromeda very work-orientated; some people are like that. 

**Prongs** – Thank you!

**Lil** **Lupin** – You've never held back on the criticisms so far, Lil, keep it up! ^_^  Yeah, it's going alright so far.  I never expect a huge response for a first post but you never know; this fic may turn out to be fairly popular.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed in any case.  Looking forward to having chapter 20 back!


	3. Bad News

Chapter Three – Bad News 

_Padfoot,_

_Sorry, this is just a quick note before my parents hijack Tally again.  Are we still on for coming over?  Prongs said something about you possibly going to visit your dad?  Let me know soon okay?  _

_See you soon I hope._

_Moony_

Sirius reread the letter, a sinking feeling in his stomach.  On the bed lay another roll of parchment, this one from Prongs, asking pretty much the same thing.

On the windowsill were two owls; a large American Barred owl and James' tawny, Athena, both blinking slowly down on Cosmic who slunk low to the floor, edging stealthily forward, preparing to spring.

Glumly, Sirius went to his trunk at the foot of the bed for a quill and some parchment.

Cosmic pounced. Tally, Remus' owl, flared her huge wings menacingly and hissed, her feathers suddenly puffed up, making her appear twice her normal size in an instant.  Cosmic abruptly darted backwards, eyes wide with fright, and ended up clinging to the edge of the bed covers, almost falling off the bed.  Tally resumed her passive stance, ruffling her feathers, shrinking smoothly back to her normal size.

Seating himself at his desk, Sirius grabbed a bottle of ink and wrote quickly;__

_Moony,_

_Bad news.  All plans are off in the wake of my Mum's new man.  Richard is a pompous git of a Muggle that Mum wants to keep in the dark about our family's 'unusual' attributes.  I don't like it but anything and everything magical is now strictly taboo - including friends, regardless of previous arrangements.  Put bluntly, I'm mad at Mum for not saying anything before I caught an eyeful of her and the Git smooching in the hall as soon as I got home and for ruining our plans.  I'm only going to carry on moaning if I keep writing, so I'll spare your sanity and quit now. _

_Hope your summer got off to a better start than mine did._

_Padfoot_

He scribbled out a similar letter to James with a request to relay the bad news to Peter.

The most awkward part of being home for the long summer break was how far apart the Marauders were from one another.  Sirius and James both lived outside of London.  James' father could easily made a side trip to Buckinghamshire from Oxford to give Sirius and Ursa a lift to and from Kings Cross, but it certainly wasn't easy to meet up over the holidays.

Peter was further north, up in Norfolk, and since he didn't own an owl they had had to work out a system of relaying messages with the two owls they had between them.

Remus, on the other hand, was currently residing down in Cornwall.  In the five years that Sirius had known him, Remus had moved house eight or nine times; mainly because of the locals objecting to the presence of a young werewolf.  The Lupins were careful to move on if they felt it was getting too risky; several times they had been driven out by angry mobs.  The very thought made Sirius furious, especially when Remus seemed to accept it as normal.  It wasn't his fault he had been bitten, so why did those stupid, narrow-minded people feel the sadistic need to punish him for it?

The two owls flew out the window and back into the morning light with their letters; Cosmic jumping up on the sill the moment they had taken flight, staring after them.  Next moment, Cosmic emitted a frightened yowl and dove back off the sill as a huge eagle owl came soaring through the window to land on the bed.

Sirius didn't recognise the owl, but the parchment envelope in the bird's beak bore his name in rich purple ink, as well as a Ministry of Magic seal.  There was only one person at the Ministry who was likely to send him such an informal letter.__

_Dear Sirius and Ursa,_

_Welcome back!  Hope your end-of-year exams weren't too stressful - Sirius, I can't wait to see those OWL results.  (Don't worry if you didn't get Potions; your mother will forgive you … eventually.)_

_Good news.  I've booked some time off work and, yes, it did take forever to sort out the damn paperwork – a necessary evil I'm afraid, but that means you can both come and stay for a few days next week.  I hope your mother hasn't planned something already - I've got tickets for the Bats versus Tornadoes match on Saturday._

_Write back as soon as you can.  I'll pay for the Knight Bus fare, don't worry about that.  So, I'll hopefully see you two next week._

_Bye for now!_

_Dad_

Sirius perked up.  Brilliant!  A chance to see his father and go to a Quidditch match!  Maybe this summer wasn't going to be such a letdown after all.

Reaching for a quill, he hesitated.  What if his mum did have something organised already?  She had been rather stingy with mentioning the fact that Richard had made an unwelcome entrance into their lives.  He wouldn't put it past her not to say if she'd arranged something without letting them know.

Putting the quill back down on the desk, Sirius figured he'd better check first.  He glanced up at the clock.  It was only nine thirty.  Andromeda would be in the lab by now.  He'd have to wait.  His mother went absolutely spoony if some idiot dared to disturb her in the middle of an experiment - the fool would be at risk of getting their head snapped off.

Literally.

In the meantime, there was homework waiting for his attention.  Sirius eyed the huge mound on his desk with loathing.  Every time he looked at it, the pile seemed to have grown.

Closing his eyes, he stretched out his hand and picked one at random.

_Charms essay; Explain how Dream Enhancement Charms counteract the effects of the Phantasmagoria Hex in conjunction with notambulation._

Ooh, thrilling.  Interesting on one level, and too long-winded and brain taxing on another this early in the morning.

He reached for another.

Potions essay -

Sirius tossed it back without even looking at the whole assignment.

'Charms it is.'  He sighed and set to work.

*

The fire beneath the cauldron crackled softly, sending a warm, flickering light across the stone floor.  A ginger-coloured potion bubbled and frothed, emitting spicy-scented fumes; a hazy mist clouded the air.

Slowly, ever so carefully, Andromeda held out a tiny crystal vial over the centre, one eye on the list of ingredients in her other hand.

'Okay, let's hope it doesn't just evaporate again,' she muttered to herself.  The last batch had had a tad too much nightshade and not enough possum saliva.  With any luck, she had balanced it this time.

Taking a deep breath, holding the vial steady, she gave it a gentle tap with her finger.

A single droplet of silvery-blue liquid fell.

She watched it fall like time had slowed, holding her breath … hoping … praying …

_Plop!_

WHOOSH!

The bitter stench of churning acid filled the lab.  With a frustrated cry, Andromeda slammed the recipe down on the workbench.  She felt mad enough to kick the cauldron but she knew she'd only hurt her foot.  Her beautiful creation now resembled her attempts at custard; a disgusting, stodgy mess.  Great - yet another cauldron ruined, and the umpteenth failed formula.

Andromeda ran a hand over her sweaty face and pulled her hair back.  It was greasy again.  The fumes were clinging to her robes and she didn't looked more than half-awake.

Thoroughly disappointed, she practically fell into the only comfortable chair in the lab.  She'd brought the armchair down after the hard stool started getting on her nerves.  Laying back, the soft cushions moulded gently to take her exhausted body.  She closed her eyes.  What she really wanted right now was -

'Cup of tea?'

Jerking upright, Andromeda twisted round to see Sirius taking a few cautious steps down the staircase, balancing a cup of tea in one hand.

'Sirius!  Watch out for the -'

_Flit! Flit! Flit! Flit!_

'… pressure-pad on that step,' she finished lamely.

Sirius slowly opened his eyes.  He stared at the number of small darts embedded in the wall just in front of him.

'That's a new one,' he said, admirably.  'Ditched the swinging mace?'

'I _had hoped to avoid putting such large dents in the wall.'  She rose from the armchair, her face suddenly clouding with suspicion, looking up the staircase behind him.  'Sirius, did you just disarm the rest of my deterrents?' she asked, incredulously._

'Yes.  I'm not about to try getting through your crazy minefield, risking life and limb, just to bring you a cup of tea.'

She eagerly took the steaming mug he held out.  'Thank you, Star.  Just what I needed.'  She took a sip.

Sirius looked past her at the large pile of crumpled parchment strewn around the empty waste bin, wrinkling his nose at the foul smell coming from the stagnant potion in the cauldron that stood in the very centre of the room.

'Still haven't cracked it?' he asked.

'Still haven't cracked it,' she said sadly, taking another sip.  'Think I'll try it without the possum saliva next.  I _told Amelia it wasn't compatible with Roc feathers, but would she listen?  Of course not.'_

'Never mind.  You'll figure it out.'

'Wish I could figure it out without offending my sense of smell so drastically.  And so often.'

Shaking her head, Andromeda flicked her wand sharply.  A transparent, bubble-like dome slid over the surface of the potion, attached to the rim of the cauldron.  A further wave dispelled the floating smoke cloud.  The faint scent of sweet orange began to eradicate the lingering acid smell.

Sirius drew out his father's letter from his pocket.

'Mum?' 

'What is it?' she asked, sitting back down in her armchair.

'Dad wrote.  He says Ursa and I can go and stay next week … if that's all right with you?'

Andromeda's lips pursed slightly.  She took the letter and read it through.

'About time,' she murmured. 'Well, if you want to go, then you can go.  Your father could at least of sent word a little sooner,' she added, scowling slightly to herself.

'Why?  Were you planning on going out or something?'  Sirius really didn't want to have to ask that question but he felt he had to ask regardless.

Andromeda put her cup down, frowning.

'I was hoping that the four of us could go out together sometime,' she said.

'Four of us?' Sirius' defences immediately went up.

'Yes.  You, me, Ursa and Richard.  And don't scowl like that Sirius.'

When his expression only improved to a gloomy slump, Andromeda sighed.

'Look, I know you don't think much of Richard -'

_Oh, I think plenty about Richard.  Just nothing repeatable._

'- but I did think you'd at least make the effort to be friendly last night.'

'How can you be friendly with someone who's so patronising?'

'Richard happens to have some very strong views,' she said firmly. 'What does it really matter if he's a little germaphobic?  He isn't very fond of animals.  Apart from that, Richard hasn't had a lot of experience with teenagers; he gets uptight when he's nervous.   And it's not unlike you losing your temper over minor issues - remember when Mr. Clagun from next door came over to complain about Cosmic soiling in his garden?  Given half a chance, you would have given him an earful, wouldn't you?'

'Well, if he hadn't set that yappy little terrier on Cosmic -'

'You still would have got worked up about it.'

'Probably.'

'So, do you see my point?  It's easy to get the wrong impression of people.  When your temper's under control you're a very pleasant person to be around.  Richard is just the same.'

Sirius groaned inwardly.  He'd lost the argument and he knew it.

'I've already spoken to Richard and he suggested we all go to the fair this weekend.  It'll give you another chance to get to know each other.'  She gave her son an imploring look.  'Will you please make more of an effort this time?  It would mean so much to me if you two could get along.  Ursa told me she liked him.'

Sirius looked into his mothers' hopeful face.  A guilt trip was not what he needed right now.

'Okay.  I'll give it another go.  Can't promise we'll be best buds or anything, but …'

'I'm not expecting it, don't worry.  If you can both be civil to one another, that would be marvellous.'

Sirius smiled.  Then another question occurred to him.

'Are you ever going to tell him what we are?'

Andromeda's face fell.  Her gaze wandered around the lab, not looking at her son.

'Look, Sirius, when you get yourself a girlfriend and experience a serious relationship you may come to understand that these things should not be rushed.  Since your father and I separated, I haven't had much luck with men.  Richard is the only one that has honestly shown an interest in me as a person instead of some object to show off to friends.'

Sirius gave his mother a good look over.  Okay, she was pushing forty but she was still very youthful looking.  Wash the grease out of her hair, a little make-up and some potion-spot free clothes and she'd be a knock out.  Her large brown eyes were like doe's; soft and alluring.  Sirius was very surprised that few men had been interested, but then again, when did she ever leave the lab?  When did she ever get the chance to meet some single men?  The opportunities had to be few and far between.

'Richard is such a caring and honest man, and I don't want to ruin a relationship that I sincerely hope has the potential to progress.  Now, I have no idea how Richard would react to us revealing our magical heritage.  It's going so well, I just can't take that chance.  Not yet.'

'But you will tell him, right?'

Andromeda handed him the empty cup.

'Thanks for the tea, sweetie.  Now get back upstairs before you trip another boobytrap.  Go on now, I've got work to do.'  She shooed him off towards the stairs.  

Reluctantly, Sirius took the cup and went back upstairs. 

'Fine,' he muttered.  'I'll leave you to it.'

*

**To Be Continued**__

**_*_**

**_Please review.  All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated_**

*

**Authors Notes**

Due to the problems with Fanfiction and their server, I missed my post-date last week.  Sorry, but couldn't be helped.

**Anaxandra** – Thank you!  Yep, there's definitely something up with Richard, but I'm forbidden to say any more than that!  *zips lips shut*

**Lil Lupin – **Oh, I know, I know.  That chapter just seemed to go forever.  No wonder I thought I was never going to finish it. ^_^  We're almost there!

**Christy – **Hi, welcome back!! *big hug*  Don't worry about not reviewing the first chapter, it's enough that some people keep coming back. ^_^  Ah, Sirius' father isn't going to show up for a few chapters, but you will see his reaction to the news fairly soon.

**Calimora – **This fic is mainly focused on Sirius, but the rest of the Marauders do play a part, mostly in the later chapters.  I can tell you they will show up again in chapter 7, so not for a little while yet.

**Prongs - ** Hhm, yes, slipping a cursed neck tie into the post *envisions Richard being strangled* or maybe a cursed hat! *recalls the shrivelling ears hex on Bill Weasley's hat*  The possibilities are endless.  

**NightSpear – **Hee hee, I have the joy of siblings too, brothers and a sister, so I hear this sort of banter on a daily basis.  I dutifully took notes for the purpose of Sirius and Ursa.  Lots of fun to write! ^_^

**Starlette – **I'm pleased to see that Richard made a good impression in the first chapter! Well, by good I mean 'bad' because he is supposed to be a nasty twit.  You think you don't like him now; you wait until the later chapters!  Glad you like Ursa.  Sibling squabbles; daily occurrence in my house, I'll tell you now!   As I mentioned to Christy, you will meet Sirius' farther soon.  And I totally agree! *waves her Sirius-Support banner*  We need more Sirius fics! I figured rabid – I mean, _enthusiastic_ Sirius fans would appreciate one, so it was just as well I was finishing off the final chapter when book 5 came out.  Not bad for timing, eh?__


	4. Sugar and Spite

**Chapter Four; Sugar and Spite**

Surprisingly enough, despite his obvious lack of enthusiasm for spending an entire day with Richard, Sirius couldn't help but start to enjoy himself.

The fair was full of laughter, music and colour.  Troops of entertainers were everywhere; jugglers, acrobats and a fire-eater were constantly on the move between the stalls and displays.  Banners were strung overhead, and balloons of many shapes and colours floated on the air.  The crowds swarmed up and down the little pathways between the stalls, buying souvenirs and trying their luck at games of chance.  Festive songs could be heard throughout the site, filling the warm summer air.

Richard and Andromeda walked hand in hand, admiring the sights.  Ursa was thoroughly excited to experience a Muggle festival.  Even Sirius found it difficult to hide how much he was enjoying himself, though he made a point of refusing to look at Richard whilst he was holding his mother's hand.

Andromeda had worn a broad smile on her face from the moment they'd arrived.  Being out in the sunshine was a welcome alternative to her dreary laboratory.

Richard had generously given Ursa and Sirius some spending money and told them to 'go and have fun'.  Making every effort to be nice, Sirius politely thanked Richard and led Ursa over to where a friendly young woman was selling candyfloss.

Clearly thinking they were out of earshot, Richard turned to Andromeda.

'Surely they ought to have something healthy?' he asked, in a tone that queried why they didn't know any better.  'That is pure sugar, it will rot their teeth -'

'Oh, Richard, don't be such a spoilsport!  I love candyfloss!  Come on, let's get some before Ursa buys the lot.'

Sirius smirked without looking back.  Point for Mum.

Andromeda practically had to drag Richard over to the stall.  He looked extremely put out but didn't say another word of protest.  He politely declined Andromeda's offer of candyfloss but it didn't stop him paying for hers.

For the next few hours, the four of them continued to explore the site.  They came across a display of exotic dancers, dressed in brightly coloured clothes and with large flowers in their hair.  A small group of musicians behind them where playing a fast tune with a strong beat, the beautiful dancers moving gracefully to the beat of the drum.  A few of the women danced into the gathering spectators, making beckoning motions.  Gradually, some brave Muggles edged out of the crowd to dance alongside them, accompanied by the appreciative clapping and cheering of the crowd.

Sirius watched for a few seconds, and then turned to his mother.  Taking her hand, he swiftly led her out into the centre.  Red with embarrassment, Andromeda had no choice but to dance, laughing gamely at her complete lack of co-ordination.  Not bothered if he was making a fool of himself, Sirius shouted to Ursa who instantly ran out into the centre, deliberately moving to dance with the beautiful women in the flowery costumes.  They welcomed her into their circle, one staying by her side, slowing down their dance so Ursa could keep up. She looked like she was having the time of her life.

Only Richard stayed in the crowd, stony-faced among the cheering spectators.  Sirius didn't care.  This was turning out to be the best day he'd had so far this summer; what did one grumpy person matter?

It was quite some time before all three of them became exhausted and detached themselves from the display.  Richard emerged from the bustling crowd, full of prise for Andromeda's 'wonderful dancing'.   Much to Sirius' continued satisfaction, his mother immediately demanded to know why he hadn't joined in.  Richard seemed thrown by her response, reluctantly admitting that he couldn't dance.

'I didn't want to embarrass you,' he said apologetically.

Andromeda rolled her eyes disbelievingly.  'Oh, honestly.  Were you even watching what I was doing?  I was all over the place!  If anyone is an embarrassment, it's me.'

Richard smiled fondly at her, eyes twinkling.  'Now, you could never do that,' he said soothingly.  Then he kissed her softly on the lips.  'I hope my doing _that in public isn't an embarrassment for you.'_

Andromeda blushed, shaking her head.  She reached up to kiss him back.

Behind their backs, Sirius was animatedly miming throwing up, making faint choking noises.  Ursa started giggling and they both moved off quickly before their mum spotted them.

'Try yer luck, little lady?  Three throws for a quid and win a fabulous prize!'

Ursa turned to look over at the elderly gentlemen calling jovially from a nearby stall, tossing a small red ball with one hand.  Suspended above his balding head were a multitude of brightly coloured soft toys.

'Mum, can I have a go?' she asked eagerly. 

Andromeda looked up at the toys.

'Which one do you want?'

'That one!'

Ursa pointed.  Among the toys was a cuddly panda wearing a black top hat and cape.  Its black and white fur sparkled with pink and yellow glitter and its eye patches were shaped like stars.  A blue plastic tag tied to its paw read '185 points'.

In the centre of the stall stood lots of differently coloured narrow tubes, varying in height and width.  Painted on each was a number.

'Get a ball down a tube to score points,' explained the stall keeper, seeing Ursa's eager face.  'The more points yer get, the better the prize.  Come and give it a try.  If Lady Luck is smiling on yer, yer'll get your panda.'

Sirius stepped over for a closer look.  The higher the value of points, the smaller the tube.  Closest to the counter were the lower values.  185 points for the panda, three balls.  A quick glance at the tubes showed that the only way to get the toy was by putting a ball down a 35, a 50, and the smallest tube of the lot, the 100-point tube.

Ursa handed over a one pound coin and picked up a ball.  Aiming high, the ball just missed one of the yellow 50 tubes, falling into a blue 70 tube.  Andromeda clapped and gave a little cheer as Ursa grabbed her next ball.  It missed the tubes, dropping to land on the straw-hewn floor.

'Don't worry, love, you've still one more ball.' said the stall keeper, handing over the last ball.

But the ball flew up, fell and bounced off the rim of a green 35 tube, then tumbled into a grey 20 point tube.

'90 points!' The old man clapped.  'Well done!  Now, would you prefer a lion or a leopard?'  He reached up to pull down the cat toys, both baring the 90 point prize tag.

Ursa chose the lion, although her gaze was lingering on the panda swinging on its peg over her head.

Andromeda beamed.  'Isn't he cute?  What are you going to call him?'

'Godric,' said Ursa, tucking the fluffy lion under her arm.

Andromeda looked back up at the hanging prizes.

'Did you want another go?'

Ursa shook her head.

'I can't aim properly,' she muttered.

Richard strode over to the old man and put a pound on the counter.

'Three balls, please.'  He turned, smiling paternally at Ursa.  '185 for the panda, right?'

Ursa's face lit up and she hurried back over to watch.  Sirius held back, watching silently.

When Richard's first ball dropped down the 35 tube, Ursa and Andromeda both cheered.  The stall keeper leaned against the counter, arms folded.  Richard held up his second ball close to his face, aiming for the next tube; a 50.  The ball zipped over the tube, missing it by several inches, hit the side of another and fell down a 20 point hole.

Sirius shook his head. Richard was throwing much too hard and aiming too high.  There was no way he was going to get another 130 points in one shot.  Ursa looked on hopefully as Richard took up his last ball.

It missed every tube by a long shot, sailing over all of them to bounce off the counter on the opposite side and fall out of the stall.

'Ohh, unlucky throw there, sir.  Better luck next time, eh?  Here yer go.'

The gentlemen handed Richard a long green fuzzy crocodile with purple spots.  Ursa stared glumly at it as Richard handed it to her, a strained smile on his face.  She took it without a word.  Her mother frowned.

'Ursa, what do you say?'

'Thank you, Richard,' said Ursa listlessly.  Then she said, 'Could you try again?'

'Er … no, I don't think so,' said Richard.  He started to herd them away.  'Those tubes are far too small for the balls - the game's obviously fixed.  One can only get a hundred and fifty at the most.'

Andromeda nodded, disappointed.  'Yes, I suppose a lot of these games are easily fixed.  Did you see that boy at the coconut shy?  Hit two coconuts ever so hard yet they didn't budge.'

'Glued in place, I'd say,' said Richard gruffly.  'It's all a scam really.  You'd be better off going to a souvenir shop rather than wasting your money on silly games of chance.'

As they talked, they made their way towards a nearby stand selling spicy biscuits and sweet breads.  Ursa trailed behind, clutching the lion and crocodile.

'S'not fair,' she grumbled.  'I wanted another go. Will Mum let me, Siri?  Siri?'

She looked about her.  Wasn't Sirius beside her a moment ago?  Looking back, she spotted her brother walking back towards the ball game stall.

'Siri!  Wait for me!'

Her shout drew Andromeda's attention just as Ursa vanished into the crowd.

'Ah, decided to give it a go as well, have you?' asked the old man as Sirius stepped up to him.  'Not as easy as it looks, is it?'

Sirius smiled politely.

'Three balls please.'

Ursa popped up beside him as the old man placed a shallow basket of three red balls up on the counter.

'Back again?  You really want this one, dontcha?  Suppose I'd better get it ready to go,' he chuckled.

Sirius ignored them both, lining up his shot.  The 35 tube wasn't difficult; just a simple toss.  The ball sailed over the counter and went straight in.  The old man smiled approvingly.

Sirius picked up his next ball.

The 50 tube was higher so he stepped a little closer.  In a smooth under-arm swing, the ball left his hand, arched high into the air and dropped neatly into the hole.

A small group of people waiting their turn, clapped politely.  Ursa was gripping the counter tightly.

Taking the final ball into his hand, Sirius cautiously eyed up the golden 100 point tube.  It was very tall compared to the rest.  The hole was very narrow.  In fact … Sirius squinted at it, then looked down at the ball.  That hole was only just wide enough for the ball to enter from an almost straight drop from above.  There was no way it could make it at an angle.

Richard and Andromeda pushed their way through the milling spectators just as Sirius threw the ball sharply up into the air.  It shot up and hit the wooden roof of the stall with a hollow thud; it dropped straight down … and into the golden tube.

'185 points!' the old man cried, wide-eyed with amazement and clapping hard.  Ursa squealed delightedly.  Andromeda simply beamed as the stall keeper unhooked the panda from its peg and gave it to Sirius with a hearty congratulation.  Smiling serenely, Sirius presented the glittering panda to his sister.  Ursa hugged the panda tightly, stood up on tiptoe and kissed her brother on the cheek.  Sirius went red with embarrassment as the people standing around them emitted a chorus of 'Aww' and 'Oh, isn't that cute?'

'Sirius, that was _very _thoughtful of you,' Andromeda told him as they walked away.  'Where did you learn to throw like that?'

'James showed me.  See, if you don't get the angle right then you've got no chance.  The ball wasn't going to fit any other way so I had to use the roof to get the angle I needed.'

'Very clever,' said Richard flatly from behind them.  No one seemed to have heard him.

Ursa tugged on her mother's sleeve and whispered in her ear.  Andromeda nodded and took her hand.

'We'll be right back,' she said.  'Don't go anywhere.'  And they headed off in the direction of the toilets, squeezing through the milling crowd in front of a sweet stall.  Sirius peered curiously at the sweets.  Muggle sweets certainly were strange.  Very few flavours to choose from and nothing looked like they would explode or move.  Still, such an oddity would undoubtedly amuse the rest of the Marauders.  He made to walk over to the stall when -

'I'd like to have a little word with you,' hissed a low voice in his ear.

Sirius turned to find himself almost nose-to-nose with a very angry looking Richard.  His cold eyes were narrowed slits.

'Let's get one thing clear, shall we?  I don't like people who show me up.  People who do that often regret it _very _quickly.  Lucky for you, we're in public.  Now,' his voice dropped to a very dangerous whisper, 'it's only for Ann that I'm prepared to let it go this one time, so you'd better learn from your mistakes very quickly … you'll regret making them a second time.'

Sirius met the cold stare challengingly.

'A bit miffed that I_ won the game and you didn't?  Kinda petty, isn't it?'_

'You better hold your tongue -'

'Why should I?  I can say what I like; you can't stop me.'

'Can't I?'  Richard smiled coldly.  Sirius was starting to feel a tad nervous.

'Are you threatening me?' he asked quietly, calmly.

Richard glared.

'We're back!'

Andromeda and Ursa emerged from the crowd, oblivious to the tension.  Both Sirius and Richard subtly moved away from each other.

'Everything all right?' asked Andromeda, looking between them.

'Peachy,' said Richard, his benign smile back in place.

'Yeah, everything's cool,' quipped Sirius, moving to walk beside Ursa.  She was still holding her new panda.  The lion and crocodile now resided in a carrier bag out of sight.

They left the fair an hour later.  Richard drove them home in his beige Volkswagen, and then left for his apartment on the other side of town.

Andromeda waved until he was out of sight, and then turned to Sirius.

'Well?  How are you and Richard getting along now?'

For a moment, Sirius opened his mouth to tell her exactly what his opinion of the git was, but the hopeful half-smile on his mother's face made him pause.

'Er…' He sighed.  'I still don't like him.' Andromeda looked crestfallen.  'But I think we've reached an understanding about yanking each other's chains.'

His mother rolled her eyes.

'Points for effort, I suppose.  But thank you, I'm glad you're trying hard.  Richard really is such a nice person once you get to know him.'

Sirius nodded.

_Yeah, I'll bet._

*

To Be Continued 

*

**_Please review.  All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated._**

*

Authors Notes 

**Stagger – **Glad you like it! Yep, plenty has been written.  I'm updating once a week every Friday.  Hope you'll enjoy the rest of it.

**Starlette –**I had a lot of fun choosing the names.  Tally is named simply for the tally-stripe marks Barred owls have on their feathers, Athena is named for the goddess to whom owls are scared, and Cosmic is named both as starry theme and for the cat that appears in Disney's 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks', my favourite of all Disney films!  *ahem*  Not that I watch many now; bit old for them I think.  Although I did consider naming the cat after the panther in the Jungle Book (can't spell his name off the top of my head.)  

As for Andromeda, well, they do say love is blind.  Hee hee, hairy butt! ^_^  Amused me no end, that did!  

We'll see Sirius' father's reaction shortly, and needless to say he's less than thrilled with the news.  I don't think he'd stoop to Muggle Baiting though; he is part of the Law Enforcement Squad.  (Of course, rules are made to be broken)  You won't see Sirius going back to school, I'm afraid.  I set myself a timeframe of the summer holiday just to be sure that I had some idea of how long the fic was going to last for.  Glad you like it so far.

**MorganD – **You'll understand about the booby-traps soon; she didn't set them up just to keep her kids out.  ^_^  Got a few chapters to go before the Marauders turn up again.  They plan a larger part in the later chapters.

**Christy – **I have no intention of stopping this fic, no worries!  Been working on this for months and I'm quite pleased with the results, but, yes, unfortunately I am sticking to one post a week – I need time to get going on my next fic.  It's going to be another long one.  ^_^__


	5. Orion Black

**Chapter Five; Orion Black**

_Padfoot,_

_Don't worry about it; we'll sort something out.  You know you're always welcome at my house, probably because Mum loves those Italian dishes you can make – she still wants the recipe for that bolognaise sauce._

_Only thing is, I can't offer an escape for a while.  We're all off to Ireland for a couple of days.  Some second cousin I've never met before is getting married.  Sorry!  Can't wait to get back home._

_Don't let Richard get you down.  With any luck he won't be as bad as he seems.  Failing that, you won't see him for dust when your mum tells him that she can turn him into a toad if he upsets her!_

_Prongs_

*

'Cottingham Road,' announced the Knight Bus conductor, pushing open the doors and beckoning to his two young passengers.

Sirius and Ursa gratefully leapt down the steps and out onto a dirt track leading up to a cluster of small country houses nestled into the surrounding woodland.  A lone figure stood waiting for them.

'Daddy!'

Ursa ran up the track as fast as she could go, her long black hair streaming out behind her, leaving Sirius with their backpacks.

'Hi sweetheart!' Orion drew his daughter into a bear hug, Ursa flinging her arms around his neck.  Releasing her, Orion held Ursa at arms length, beaming at her.  'Every time I see you, you've grown,' he said, at which Ursa grinned, looking very pleased, and stood up on tiptoe.  Orion chuckled.  'You might be as tall as Sirius the next time I see you.'

'Hey, we can't have that; she's supposed to be the _little_ sister,' said Sirius, as the Knight Bus rumbled off down the road, disappearing with a loud bang.

'Sirius, I doubt you have anything to worry about.  You're growing much too fast for Ursa to catch you up,' said Orion, taking Ursa's bag, clapping him on the shoulder and steering them both towards the houses.  'Come on, let's drop your stuff off.  If we get there fast enough we can get better seats!'

Grinning like a thoroughly over-excited child, Orion hurried them through the gate and up the garden path of the nearest building; a small single-story house covered in ivy.  A few gnomes poked their heads up out of the over-grown lawn for the briefest of moments before ducking out of sight, giggling and scurrying off.

Leaving their bags in the narrow hallway, Orion led them round the back of the house towards the woods.  Ursa eagerly ran on ahead, her father calling after her to stay on the path.

'How's your mother?' Orion asked Sirius as they walked into the shadow of the trees.  He always asked this question as soon as possible, partly because he wanted to get the dutiful-yet-awkward questions over and done with.

'She's fine,' said Sirius.

Orion raised an eyebrow, catching the tone.

'But?'

Sirius shrugged, scuffing his shoes in the dirt.

'Mum's got a boyfriend,' he blurted out, instantly regretting it.

Orion looked at him, mouth slightly open.  For a few moments he said nothing.  Then he cleared his throat noisily.

'Oh,' he finally said.

Sirius kept his eyes on his feet.

'What's his name?' asked Orion, his voice sounding odd.

'Richard,' grumbled Sirius, kicking at the ground.  'And he's a git.'

Orion chuckled softly.  

'You don't like him?'  He sounded relieved.

'No.'

'Does your mother?'

'I guess.'

Orion nodded soberly. He sighed.

'Well, if she's happy …' he trailed off, staring off into the trees.

Sirius hated these awkward silences.  It wasn't often he couldn't think of something to say to break the ice.  Luckily, Ursa appeared on the path ahead of them.

'I've found it!' she called joyfully.  Spinning round, she ran off through the trees again.

'Come on, slowpoke – race you!'  Sirius broke into a run, darting between the trees after Ursa.  Orion raced after them, declaring them both cheaters for taking a head start.

Up ahead was a huge clearing.  The surrounding woodland was so dark and dense that Sirius was sure that they'd reached the heart of the forest.  Temporary stands had been erected, running round the perimeter, seating about a thousand witches and wizards, plus those trying to gain a vantage point by sitting high up in the trees, clutching binoculars and telescopes.

It was about three quarters full already. Orion, Sirius and Ursa flashed their tickets at a young man in forest green uniform robes who directed them over to the far side.  They took their seats near the top of the stands as a fanfare boomed out across the pitch.

A tall witch with floor-length blond hair braided with summer flowers and also wearing forest green robes appeared in the commentators' booth.  Her voice, magically magnified, echoed loudly around the clearing.

'Welcome ladies and gentlemen,' she called,  'to our first match of the summer season!'

The crowd cheered loudly, some wavering banners and coloured scarves.

'Presenting our home team – the Tutshill Tornadoes!'

With a thunderous roar of approval, seven sky-blue robed players flew out onto the pitch, swooping low enough to touch the grass then rocketing up above the crowd, flying just over their heads.  People ducked instinctively, clapping and cheering.

'And their challengers – the Ballycastle Bats!'

A storm of applause rang out as the Northern Ireland team, dressed in jet-black robes flew out onto the pitch from the treetops in a V-formation, shooting right round the stadium at incredible speed.  Squinting at the players as they shot past, Sirius just managed to read the name Nimbus 1500 on the handles of their brooms. 

A sharp whistle blast summoned both teams to the centre of the pitch.  Hovering fifty feet above the ground, the Bats faced the Tornadoes, their faces set.

A wizened wizard in white robes strode out onto the pitch, broom in one hand and a small crate under his arm.  He put the grate down, lifted the lid and stumbled back as the two cannon ball-like Bludgers rocketed past his head and up into the air.  A tiny streak of gold followed, vanishing in an instant.

'Referee Dexter Brackley releases the Bludgers,' declared the commentator excitedly.  'The Snitch is loose … the Quaffle is released – and the game begins!'

Throwing the Quaffle up, Brackley hastily beat a speedy retreat on his broom as all six Chasers dived for the scarlet ball, spurred on by the cheering crowds.

'And the Quaffle is seized by Bats Chaser Kyran Lifford! Lifford passes to Fern, back to Lifford, to – no, Quaffle intercepted by Marlow, nice loop round Foxford there.  Marlow heading for the goalhoops, ducks a Bludger, nice Reverse Pass to Olney!  She dodges Fern, Foxford – shoots – oh dear, no score.  Keeper David Summerhill sends the Quaffle back into play.  Beaters Ripley and Bolton closing in on Lifford; narrow miss there!  Bludgers almost catch Bats Captain in the head! Very lucky miss.'

The Tornado Beaters were not discouraged however; a particularly hard swing from Dylan Ripley sent a Bludger pelting back towards Lifford forcing him to drop several feet and lose the Quaffle.

'Tornadoes' Chaser Hythe now in possession, passes to Marlow – fantastic throw to Olney!  But Beater Quin's on her tail!  Olney's hit!  Quaffle stolen by Ferns – snatched out of her hands by Tristan Hythe – where did he come from?  Swoops round Foxford, passes Rossan – Keeper Summerhill's looking nervous … Hythe shoots – he scores!'

Deafening tidal waves of cheers rang out through the stadium.  Flocks of birds took to the air in fright as the Tornadoes' fans roared in delight.  Orion whistled shrilly, clapping hard.  Sirius craned his neck to watch Chasers Hythe and Marlow quickly draw back to check on their injured team-mate.  Dawn Olney waved aside their concern.  Pulling away, she flew up alongside Bats Beater Quin and cut across his path so sharply she caught him in the face with her broom tail just as the Quaffle was thrown back into play.

The match proceeded with the Tutshill Tornadoes scoring another five goals while the Ballycastle Bats fought back to achieve three goals themselves.

Sirius was cheering so much his throat was becoming sore. His hands were numb from clapping as Chaser Marlow put a seventh goal past the unwary Bats' Keeper.

Ursa let out a squeal, leaping out of her seat.

'Look!  _Look at the Seekers!_' she screamed at the top of her lungs.

The two Seekers, Kesh and Luton, had gone practically unnoticed the entire game, but now they were both tearing up the pitch, scattering the Chasers, in hot pursuit of a tiny flash of gold.

'The Golden Snitch has been spotted!' cried the commentator shrilly, hanging precariously over the edge of the box.  'Kesh and Luton are neck and neck!  Everybody just get out of their way!  Look at them go!'

Ballycastle Beater Rossan took a vicious swing at a passing Bludger, sending it rocketing into the path of the speeding Seekers.

Yelling indignantly, the Bats Seeker Sean Kesh jerked his Nimbus up sharply to avoid being smacked in the head.  Valerie Luton, never taking her eyes off the Snitch, threw herself flat to the handle of her broom, the Bludger zooming past so close it rippled the back of her robes –

The Tornadoes fans, Sirius and Ursa included, were all on their feet in an instant, screaming her on as Kesh desperately flew after her, gaining little by little.  The Snitch fluttered teasingly over the heads of the crowd before zipping away towards the goal hoops.

'Come on!' Sirius yelled.  'Cut left!  Cut left!'

Valerie Luton pulled up sharply to the left, cutting into Kesh's path, forcing him to hold back.  Pulling ahead, she wove skilfully round the long poles of the goal hoops, reaching out a hand.  She made a wild snatch and plucked the little golden ball out of the air.

The stands erupted into even louder screams of delight.  Ursa waved frantically to the ecstatic Seeker as she soared over the pitch, her team-mates swooping down on her from all directions, their joy evident from their beaming faces, attempting a group-hug in mid-air in a tangle of broomsticks.

'And with an absolutely fantastic capture of the Golden Snitch by Valerie Luton, the winners, with 210 points to 30, are the _Tutshill Tornadoes!_'

Punching the air with their fists, the Tornadoes took off, spiralling up into the sky, waving energetically to the screaming fans. 

The Ballycastle Bats had landed on the pitch below, their captain, Rupert Quin, making angry gestures at both Rossan and Kesh.  They glowered mutinously back while the noise of the happily celebrating Tornado fans drowned out the calls of the disappointed Bat fans.

When they were finally able to leave the stadium half an hour later, Sirius felt as though nothing could dampen his spirits.  James and the others were going to be so jealous when he told them about the match.  He knew James would have given an arm and a leg to have been able to come along.

Orion led them back to his home, cheerfully going over the entire game and scorning the hasty actions of 'that idiot Beater'.

It was getting dark by the time they got back.  Too excited to feel particularly hungry, the three of them collapsed into the comfy armchair and sofa in the living room, enjoying mugs of creamy hot chocolate and marshmallows, verbally replaying the entire game.

The fireplace was alight with flickering flames, casting a warm light across the floor.  Sirius sat in the armchair, his feet tucked underneath him.  Ursa was trying to stay awake but her eyelids were drooping lower and lower every time she blinked.  Eventually she laid her head on her father's arm and fell asleep.  Orion draped an arm around her shoulders, smiling contentedly.

'How's it going at Hogwarts, then?' asked Orion, adding another marshmallow to his drink.  'If you and your friends haven't brought the old castle to its foundations yet?' he added grinning.

'Hey, the worst we did was flood the dungeons!' Sirius protested in an innocent tone of voice.  'And that was a total accident.'

'Oh, _really?' _

'Yes, really.  We were _trying_ to do our homework.'

Orion raised one eyebrow suspiciously.  Sirius, careful to keep his expression neutral, continued.

'Professor Kettleburn asked us to research suitable habitats for Lobalugs, and we figured it would be more interesting if we created our own so – '

'Don't tell me,' said Orion, his face working to keep from smiling.

'Well, we knew they liked cold, dark places – and obviously wet.'  An evil grin contorted Sirius' mischievous face, his eyes twinkling.  'Do you know how much water the Slytherin common room can hold?'

Orion snorted into his mug of chocolate.

'Sirius!  You didn't!'

'We didn't fill it up completely, but only because the experiment was so rudely interrupted.  It would have worked out fine if Professor Scythe hadn't demanded we take down the Containment Charms holding the water in.  It wasn't our fault, we were just following instructions.'

'How long were you in detention for?' asked Orion, still trying not to laugh.

'A fortnight; took us that long to find all the Lobalugs and put them back in the lake.'

Orion was shaking his head, one hand over his eyes.

'How Hogwarts is _ever_ going to survive another two years with the four of you, I don't know.'

'At least we'll be remembered,' said Sirius cheerfully.  'We'll be a part of Hogwarts' history.  Years from now, the Marauders will still be talked about by future generations of pranksters and magical mischief makers everywhere.'  Sirius' eyes lit up in sudden thought.  'Magical mischief makers,' he muttered.  'I must remember that, Prongs will like that.'

'Prongs?  Who's that?'

'James, of course!'

Orion looked blank.

'Okay, 'Marauders' I know is the 'collective name' for your little gang, I remember you telling me, but how has 'Prongs' come about?'

'Just a nickname,' Sirius shrugged.  'Peter is Wormtail, Remus is Moony and I'm Padfoot,' he said proudly.

Orion sighed, muttering something about crazy teenage stunts, long since resigned to never fully understanding his son's antics.  Ever since Sirius had enrolled at Hogwarts, he had either been in trouble or busy charming his way out of it.  Yet he'd also proved himself to be a very gifted young wizard, passing exams and mastering complicated spells with ease.  Such a brilliant mind, but all he seemed to want to do was cause as much chaos and play as many tricks as he could possibly manage.  It didn't help matters that his three friends wholeheartedly agreed with his foolhardy agenda.

'Please tell me you put at least half as much effort into your schoolwork as you do on all these pranks,' said Orion pleadingly, knowing that he needn't worry.

Sirius beamed.

'Twelve OWLs passed with flying colours.' Off his father's mildly sceptical gaze, he sheepishly added, 'Yeah, okay, Potions was a close call, but I still got a good grade overall.'

'Your mother didn't try to kill you, then?' chuckled Orion.

'She had words.'

'Did you pay attention?'

'Maybe.'

'_Sirius.'_

'Sheesh,_ what_ is the problem?  I passed the exam, I didn't come anywhere close to failing; so what if I didn't get one of the highest marks out of the year?'

'You do it easily enough with all your other subjects.'

'So?'

Orion heaved a sigh.

'Sirius, you know how much your mother wishes that you'd at least try to apply yourself to the subject.  Don't think for a minute that she isn't proud of you for everything else you've achieved – we're _both_ extremely proud of you, it's just … well … Andromeda feels very passionate about potion brewing.  She'd love for you to be the same.'

'Dad, I don't dislike Potions, I just don't find them interesting, that's all,' Sirius protested, shifting uncomfortably.

'I know that; she's just very disappointed that it's practically your worst subject,' said Orion.

Sirius was silent for a while, gazing blankly into his mug, swirling the half-melted marshmallows round on the foamy surface.

Orion cleared his throat.

'So … how's her research going lately?'

'Okay, I guess,' Sirius murmured, not looking up from his warm drink.  'She's still spending hours on end down in her lab.  Not sure what she's working on.  She's gone and changed her safeguards again,' he added.  'Nearly turned me into Swiss cheese with a swarm of darts firing at me from nowhere.'

'Well, she _is_ very protective of her research,' Orion said bracingly.

'There's protective, there's over-protective, _then_ there's Mum.'

'I don't blame her.  She has good reason.'  Orion peered at Sirius questioningly.  'Didn't she tell you about the main laboratory being broken into?'

Sirius lifted his head.

'No.  When did that happen?'

'There've been several security breaches in the past four months,' said Orion gravely.  'Your mother's team was the targets of some of them.  They fear that someone is deliberately targeting their research; notes, test results and sample formulas have been reported stolen.  Not very many considering how much could have been taken, but everything has a distinct link to your mother's work.  That's why she's decided to work at home instead.  She doesn't trust the lab's security any more.  I'm not surprised she's concocting her own security measures – quite inventive from what I've heard.'

'She never said anything about that to me,' said Sirius, sounding rather put out.  'How come you know about it?'

'Because my patrol group was called out when the first few break-ins were reported.  We've taken over responsibility for the site now.' He sighed.  He looked tired and worn.  'There was another one a few weeks ago, nothing taken but we didn't catch those responsible either.'

'Do you know who it was?'

'If we did, we'd have tracked them down by now.  As it is, we know who we _think_ it was, but we don't have any way of finding them.'

'Why not?'

'Haven't you been reading the _Daily_ _Prophet_ lately?'

Sirius shook his head.

'You should keep up with what's going on in the world,' said Orion sternly.  Then his tone softened, almost worrisome.  'There's a wizard who has been causing the Ministry an awful lot of trouble over the past few years.  At first he was simply a pesky nuisance, hardly something to worry about; however, its recently transpired that he's been busy forming some sort of … Order … practising the Dark Arts.'

Orion lowered his voice, speaking so softly that Sirius had to lean forward to hear him.

'This Dark Lord, as he calls himself, is gathering a lot of followers.  He's sanctioned plotted murders, using the Unforgivables.'

Sirius felt a shiver run up his spine.

'The Unforgivables?' he whispered, stunned.  'B-but it's against the law!'

'Care to tell them that?  No, this wizard is big trouble, he's causing absolute chaos.  He's even targeting Muggles,' he added.  'The Oblivators are on 24-hour emergency callout.  The entire Ministry is in chaos, struggling to contend with everything.'

'Who is he?'

'Who?'

'This Dark Lord; what's his name?'

Unless Sirius' eyes were deceiving him, a flicker of fear was evident in his father's face.  But that was absurd; his father wasn't scared of anything.

'You don't want to know,' he said darkly.

'Yes, I do,' said Sirius stubbornly.  'What is it?'

Orion fidgeted with his empty mug for a few moments, as though trying to decide whether it was wise.  Finally, he beckoned Sirius closer.  Sirius leaned forward, listening intently.

'He goes by the name … Lord Voldemort,' Orion whispered, so quietly that as close as Sirius was, he only just caught it.

'Voldemort?'

_'Shh!_  Not so loud! _ Never _use that name, you hear me?  It's just asking for trouble if people hear it.  He has followers everywhere.  _They're_ the ones we think are breaking into the your mother's lab.'

'What for?'

Orion shook his head, face screwed up in frustration.

'Those eggbrains won't breathe a word of what they're working on, so we don't have a motive.  But someone's leaking the information, which sort of defeats the object of highly classified investigations.'

'So that's why Mum moved out of the lab?'

'She figures her own is the safest place.  She can work in peace without distractions and, as far as she's concerned, she can make more progress.  Plus she gets to be at home and spend some time with the two of you.'  Orion brushed Ursa's hair off her face. She shifted slightly in her sleep.

Sirius scowled darkly.

'I think she's more interested in spending time with her new guy,' he said bitterly.  'Stupid … _Muggle_,' he grumbled, taking a gulp of hot chocolate, almost burning his tongue in the process.

'He's a Muggle?'

'Yeah, and a total prat to boot.  Mum has 'conveniently forgotten' to mention that we're wizards, so she's trying to hide it altogether.'

Orion considered his son for a moment.

'You really don't like him, do you?'

'Whatever gave you _that_ idea?'  Sirius knew he sounded bitterly sarcastic but he didn't care.  'Just because he waltzes into my home acting like he owns it, fawns over Mum like a love-sick puppy and talks to me like I'm getting in his way all the time – Mum thinks Richard is some perfect guy that can do no wrong –'

'Sirius, slow down,' said Orion, his face etched with concern.  'Take a deep breath and calm down.'

Sirius slumped in his chair, shaking a little.  His gripped his mug tightly.

'Now then, obviously you aren't happy with this Richard fellow –'

'Obviously,' Sirius drawled.

_'But,'_ said Orion pointedly, 'while I knew this was always a possibility I also know that it doesn't really matter if I agree with it.  What matters is whether or not your mother is happy.  Is she happy with … Richard?'

'I suppose,' Sirius finally admitted, still glaring into his mug.

'Then wouldn't you say that's what's important right now?  You're sixteen now, Sirius, and I hope you're mature enough not to make a bigger deal of this than it needs to be.'

The words washed over Sirius, though; he wasn't sure he wanted to hear them.  They made him feel guilty.  He glanced up at his father.  By the look on his face, he was blatantly trying not to show how he truly felt about this news.  His pale blue eyes mirrored his son's, in more ways than one.

It struck Sirius that maybe his father was feeling lonely; jealous in a way, that Andromeda had been lucky enough to find another partner, whereas he had not. 

'How does Ursa feel about him?' asked Orion evenly.

Sirius shrugged.

'Not sure.'

Ursa was dozing peacefully, snuggled up against her father, a small contented smile on her lips.

Sirius swung his legs out from underneath him and stood up.

'Want another drink?'

Orion nodded. 'Thanks.'

The kitchen was tiny compared to the one back home. It only took a few minutes to make up two fresh cups, the warm smell of chocolate wafted pleasantly into the hallway.

Sirius had always loved coming to visit.  The house was constantly in a state of 'organised chaos' according to his father.  A comfortable, lived-in mess was how a home should be, in Sirius' opinion.

When his parents had spilt up, Sirius had hoped that he would be allowed to live with his father.  However, while Orion admitted that he would have loved for Sirius to stay with him, Orion had also deemed it unfair to separate him from his mother and sister, especially when Sirius would have been left on his own for most of the time, given that Orion worked long shifts at the Ministry.  His mother wouldn't hear a word of it anyway, so Sirius really had had no choice in the matter.  He was to stay with his mother, and that was that.

Normally, these rare visits were all that sustained Sirius over the holidays, yet this time it felt completely different.  So far, all his parents had done was lecture him on maturity and his schoolwork.  This weekend was supposed to be a break from all that, not a repeated performance.

Feeling sullen, Sirius stirred in the milk and returned to the living room.  He handed his father his drink and was about to return to his chair when Orion moved up to make some room on the sofa and motioned for Sirius to sit down.

Wordlessly, Sirius sat down beside his father and sunk into the cushions.  They sat in silence, staring into the flames.

'You didn't flood the Slytherin dormitories as well, did you?' asked Orion after a while.

'Why do you ask?' said Sirius, the smile evident in his voice.

Orion chuckled.

'Oh, I was just wondering if you had a specific target in mind.'

Sirius grinned impishly.

'Of course not, Dad.' However, he followed that with a loud false cough that Orion swore sounded like 'Snape'.  Sirius cleared his throat and took another drink from his mug.  

Orion laughed softly.

'Well, so long as you learnt something – '

'Absolutely,' said Sirius, perfectly seriously.  'We learnt that it takes Snape exactly three and a half minutes to realise when a Lobalug is sharing his underpants with him.'

_'Sirius!'_

*

To Be Continued 

*

**_Please review.  All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated._**

*****

Authors Notes 

**Lin-z1 – **Thanks!  Glad you like it.

**WallyTheWhale – **Oh, opps! *slaps self on the forehead*  Duh! Sorry, I completely forgot that you call it something different in the States.  Yes, candyfloss is cotton candy.  I've got into the habit of using sweater instead of jumper because that's something completely different in your country isn't it?  Gets confusing sometimes.  

No, Richard is not secretly gay.  Yes, he is cheesy at times, but then that's part of his irritating character.  Anything that makes him come across as a nasty, un-likable character is a good thing as far as I'm concerned.  If anyone can honestly say that they like him, I think I will have failed terribly as a writer – he's not supposed to be liked!

**NightSpear – **Your story is fantastic, it deserved more reviews! I like giving one for each chapter of the fics I read, otherwise I'd get to end and only say a small part of what I'd like to comment on because I'd have forgotten bits. I hope to see an update soon!  Enjoy the chapter.

**Lil Lupin – **Glad to have you back, Lily!  Don't you go giving too much away. ^_~  Must be hard to comment again on something you've Beta-ed already.  Is it possible you've exhausted your criticism?

**Christy – **True, Ursa hardly poses the same kind of threat so it's natural that any problems would be dealt with differently.  I don't want to give anything away, (especially after just asking my Beta not too!) so all I'll say is that you'll have to wait to see how that develops.   

My next project?  I'm currently working on the sequel to Tell No Lies and Take It Back.  No title yet. (I'm awful trying to decide on titles, takes me forever – just ask Lil Lupin, she knows what I'm like!)  It's still on the plotting and planning stage but it's coming along really well.  As it's going to be such a long one I doubt it'll be ready for posting by the end of the year.  Early next year maybe?  I'll try to slip in a few smaller projects in the meantime.  I've got a songfic that's been floating around in my head for months and I still haven't done it.  ^_^

**Squintz1 – **Thank you very much for saying so!  I have to admit, I've read a few fics that have it at one extreme or the other and they've never come across as quite 'right', a bit too unrealistic, so I'm glad you feel I've got it right.  ^_^   Oh the joys of siblings, I know it well.


	6. Of Fur and Feathers

**Chapter Six; Of Fur and Feathers.**

Much to Sirius' disappointment, things had not improved in the slightest by the time he and Ursa returned home a few days later.  In fact, Sirius would much rather have stayed away.  While Sirius had to admit that it was great to see his mother out of the lab more often, he dearly wished it were for some other reason – to see the light of day, for instance.  Anything other than Richard.

With Richard coming and going all the time, Sirius stayed in his bedroom most of the time, working on his homework.  Unfortunately, he had to contend with the distractions.  More often than not it was the booming shout of:

'Sirius! Get down here! _Now!'_

Slamming his Ancient Rune dictionary shut with an irate sigh, Sirius abandoned his homework to see what Richard was complaining about this time.

Downstairs in the kitchen, Richard was standing up against the wall and holding a long fly swat out in front of him like a sword, making shooing motions towards a very disgruntled Cosmic.  The cat was up on the counter beside the kettle, calmly licking a front paw and delicately washing his face.

Sirius flashed Richard a bemused sneer.

'You bellowed?'

'Get your filthy cat off the side,' Richard barked.  'It won't let me near it.'

He edged forward, brandishing the fly swat again.  Cosmic's fur stood up and he let out a hiss, showing off a set of sharp, needle-like teeth.  Richard quickly took a step back.

'Well, perhaps if you didn't threaten Cosmic with a fly swat and you asked him politely, he'd move,' said Sirius, folding his arms.

'Ask?' said Richard incredulously.  'A brick has more intelligence than that creature – I doubt it understands the concept of manners.'

_Look who's talking._

'Cosmic.' The cat turned its green eyes to Sirius, who patted his shoulder.  'If you don't mind, could you move, please?'

Cosmic snarled once more in Richard's direction, then sprang off the counter, pattered across the kitchen table and jumped up onto Sirius' shoulder.

'Vicious little beast,' Richard growled, seizing the kettle.

Sirius tickled his cat under the chin.  Closing his eyes, Cosmic flopped down, hanging around Sirius' neck.  He started to purr loudly.  Richard sneered with contempt as Sirius turned his back on him and left the kitchen.

Andromeda was lounging on the couch, reading a book.  She glanced up over her reading glasses as Sirius entered the living room and sank into an armchair.

'What did Cosmic do this time?' she asked, in an almost bored tone of voice.

'He existed, apparently,' Sirius muttered, stroking the animal.

'You _know_ Richard doesn't like cats.  I know it isn't easy, but couldn't you keep Cosmic out of the way when Richard's here?'

'Cosmic was here first,' said Sirius stubbornly, realising, as he said it, how immature the argument sounded.  He cast a nervous glance towards the kitchen and lowered his voice to a whisper.  'Mum, are you sure it's okay for Richard to be in the kitchen?  I mean, the lab …'

Andromeda smiled, waving a hand dismissively.

'Oh, there's no need to worry about that, Sirius.  The entrance is quite secure.  I sincerely doubt that Richard could open it accidentally and fall down the stairs.'

The highly amusing mental image of Richard bouncing down the stairs, setting off Andromeda's 'safeguards' as he went, caused Sirius to snigger out loud.

Andromeda raised an eyebrow.

'What's so funny?'

'Nothing,' said Sirius, quickly suppressing the laughter.  'I was just – ' 

Sirius stopped in mid-sentence as Richard entered the living room, carrying two cups of tea.  He stood in the doorway for a moment, his cold grey eyes fixed on Sirius.   Cosmic raised his head and emitted a grumbling noise from his throat.  

'Not interrupting anything, am I?' he asked, smiling pleasantly as he handed Andromeda her drink.

'Of course not,' said Andromeda, beaming at Richard as he sat down beside her, draping an arm round her shoulders.

'Excuse me,' said Sirius shortly, standing up.  He strode out of the room and back upstairs.  

* 

For the second time that day, a completed essay made a satisfying 'flump' into the trunk, never to surface again until Professor McGonagall asked for it in September.

Having nothing better to do, Sirius rummaged through the remaining assignments, searching for anything even vaguely more interesting than the Potions essay.  (It had conveniently found its way to the bottom of the pile.)  If the worst came to the worse, he'd do it on the Hogwarts Express.  James would probably help him out, if only to keep Sirius from whinging that he didn't know what to write.

The afternoon had been very slow and uneventful.  So, typically, three things suddenly happened in quick succession.

Firstly, Cosmic, who had been roaming around on top of the desk, accidentally bumped Sirius' crystal ball off its stand; Sirius quickly leaned over to try and catch it but missed.  At that moment, an owl swooped in through the open window just as the bedroom door opened and Richard stepped in.

'Sirius, it's nearly time for din-_AARRGGHH!'_

Tally flared her wings, screeching loudly as she tried to get out of the way of Richard's flailing arms as he trod on the crystal ball and went tumbling backwards.

Sirius leapt up from his chair, swiftly kicking the ball across the floor before Richard could spot it.  It rolled away under his bed, Cosmic in hot pursuit.  

Tally was fluttering about the room, looking for a perch.  Richard sat up, staring at the bird with a look of horror.

'It's okay, it's only an owl,' said Sirius, quickly holding out his arm.  Gratefully, Tally dropped down from the ceiling onto it.

Richard gaped at the bird like he'd never seen one before.  Then his gaze dropped to his lap, where a parchment envelope had fallen.

The door was flung open as Andromeda came in demanding, 'What's going on?' Her eyes widened in alarm at the sight of the owl.

Richard picked up the letter, reading the envelope.  Sirius could see his lips forming the word 'Padfoot', clearly baffled.

'That's for me,' said Sirius quickly.  'It's from a friend of mine.'

Richard and Andromeda both stared at him; one incredulous, the other promising to lynch him if he didn't come up with a decent cover story and fast.

'The owl is perfectly tame; look,' Sirius stroked Tally gently to demonstrate.  'She's … er … like one of those trained messenger pigeons,' he said brightly.

Andromeda was not impressed, frowning darkly from behind Richard's back as she helped him back to his feet.  Richard seemed to have recovered his voice.

'What is that bird doing in here?' he demanded.

'Delivering my letter,' said Sirius.  'May I have it, please?'

Richard stared at the envelope.

'What on earth is this 'Padfoot'?' he sneered contemptuously.

'Me.  It's a nickname.'

Sirius held out a hand for it.

Slowly, Richard held it out, pinching the very corner of it, as if it was covered in germs.  Tally leaned forward, blinking benignly at him.  She gave what sounded like a reassuring hoot, but as soon as Sirius took hold of the envelope, Richard quickly withdrew his hand.

'She won't bite,' said Sirius, innocently stroking the owl's striped chest.  _Not very hard anyway._

Richard did not look even slightly reassured, his cold eyes flashing ominously.

'It's outrageous,' he growled.  'First it's savage felines; _then_ it's wild birds of prey.  What's next, hmm?  Stray dogs?'  He pointed a threatening finger at Tally.  'Get rid of that bird before I call the RSPCA.  Teenage boys should not be fooling around with such dangerous wildlife.'

'You can't do that!  She isn't a native species!' said Sirius.  'They'll put her in a cage for the rest of her life!  Tally isn't even mine; she belongs to my friend.'

'Then tell your _friend_ to keep his _pet_ under control.  I don't want to see so much as a feather inside this house, understand?'

Richard turned and stomped angrily from the room.  Before Sirius could even think to breathe a sigh of relief, his mother stormed up to him.

'What do you think you were doing?' she hissed furiously.  'Do I have to remind you that Richard is a Muggle and that Muggles do _not_ send owls to their friends with letters?  What did I say about keeping our magic quiet?'

'But, Mum, how am I supposed to stop owls from flying in my window?  Besides, Richard could have at least knocked on the door instead of barging in.  I could have sent Tally back outside if I'd had the chance!' Sirius protested.

Cosmic poked his head out from under the bed, mewing softly.

Andromeda frowned.

'Right, from now on I don't want a single owl coming to this house.  You send Tally back and tell your friends that they're not to send any more letters here.'

'But – '

'You can ask them to drop letters off at Mrs. Fennel's house across the road, if she doesn't mind holding on to them for you.  But if I see an owl anywhere near your window, I will ban your letters completely.  Is that clear?'

Sirius stared disbelievingly at his mother.  He'd never seen her so angry.

'Crystal,' he said, his voice quiet.

'Good.  Now I want that owl out of here in no more than ten minutes.  Dinner's nearly ready.'

With that, she left the room, slamming the door closed behind her.

'Great,' Sirius muttered under his breath.  He grabbed a sheet of parchment and sat down to write a note to Remus, hastily explaining the reason behind the new drop-off point for his letters.

Tally seemed to understand the situation, perching on the edge of the desk, her eyes downcast.  Cosmic crept out from under the bed, nosing the crystal ball back across the room with none of his usual enthusiasm. 

The brief note finished, Sirius tied it to Tally's leg.  Spreading her huge wings, the owl quickly took flight.  Sirius watched until she was out of sight then picked up the letter she'd brought.  Ripping open the envelope, Sirius pulled out the letter.

Eyes travelling slowly down the page, Sirius felt a smile gradually slide over his face, before he let out a laugh.

Things, he decided, were definitely looking up.

*

**To Be Continued.**

*

**Author's Notes.**

**Orion San – **Well, I have to admit Orion is an unusual name and I like names that are a bit different.  My real name isn't given very often (in England anyway) and people are forever spelling it wrong, shortening it (which I find annoying) or making fun of me because of it.  Not that I care; it's mine and I love it!  Although I must say that the name Orion is becoming a bit overused in Sirius related fics; if I had been able to find an alternative 'starry' name that I liked the sound of, I would have used it.  

Hey, it's important if you feel you need to talk/write about it.  I found this story a bit hard to write considering that my parents aren't divorced, but I'm glad to hear that someone can actually relate to what's going on. 

**WallyTheWhale – **Ah, new name, interesting choice.  Yes, I'd be annoyed if my name was tagged with a number.  Lucky me; I'm one of a kind!   I loved writing the Quidditch scene.  I'm trying to include more Quidditch matches in my next project, so I'll be attempting to make each of them as different as possible.  

Oh, being a teenager is not fun.  Someone's always on your back about something!  Orion is concerned that Sirius apparently isn't coping well with the fact his mother has a new partner – not that you can blame him, mind you!   And schoolwork is your basic 'parental nagging' point.  They want you to do well, but somehow it never quite comes across as encouragement as it does lecturing.  Been there, done that, will be twenty next January, thus no longer a teenager.   0_0   _That's_ a very scary thought!  Bloody hell, in less than six months I'll be twenty!? *looks dazed*  Not that that growing up gets rid of your problems; you just get more of them. *sigh*

Zucchini?  Baby marrows?  Err, to be completely honest; I don't know.  I'm sure I've heard the name Zucchini before but if it's the same as baby marrows, I have no clue.  If anyone reading this can help us out, that would be great!  (It's going to bug me until I get the answer.)

Ouch! Sorry to hear that.  I've never broken a bone before.  Nearly broke my arm flying over the handlebars of a bike once, but it was only bruised.  Hope it mends soon!

**NightSpear – **Glad you like Orion.  Does he still love Andromeda?  Well, I guess you could say that a part of him still loves her.  It's the part of you that says; if only I'd tried harder, we could have worked it out; why wasn't it meant to be; all that kind of stuff that can go through your mind when you break up with someone.  They may not get along anymore but it doesn't necessarily mean that they hate each other with every fibre of their being.  I like to think of Orion as a nice guy who cares a lot about what happens to his children and his ex-wife, despite the fact he doesn't love her the way he did when he married her.  Love's a funny thing.

**Christy – **Like I was just saying to NightSpear, Orion's a nice guy, although he's not any happier than Sirius to hear the news.  He's a bit jealous and feeling a tad resentful about it.  But he's trying to do the mature thing to set an example to his son.  

Hee hee, I loved thinking up that prank!  Not that I play tricks on people, oh, no, I'm a good girl. *halo gleams*  But I might have played them if I had the guts to!  *evil cackle*

**Lil Lupin – **Ah yes, how silly of me.  Thou art the Queen of Criticism; all shall bow before you!  You'll notice I included the apostrophe in Author's Notes this time?   I pay attention.  ^_^

Orion, I have to confess, is what I feel would be a great middle name for Sirius, and as parents will sometimes bestow the father's name on their son as a first or middle name, I gave Sirius' father the name Orion.  I just don't mention anywhere that Sirius' middle name is Orion.  It just suits him!

Part3 is coming on.  And on and on.  The sheer length of my notes is scaring me!  *whimpers* 

**Squintz1 – **Thank you for the compliment.  Oh, do _not_ get me started on book 5!  I read the book to my brother a few days ago and as soon as I reached the line, 'The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest.', forget it; I needed a huge box of tissues to get through the remaining chapters.  It's torture!  I can't read it aloud without my voice wavering all over the place.  Just like with book 4, during Dumbledore's speech I get a lump in my throat every time.  It's so well written, but these passages just turn some people into human hosepipes!

Kittens!  So cute!  Names, huh?  Well, it may depend on the sex and colour of the kitten(s), and what you like.  A friend of mine kept cats and one had a litter of kittens when The Lion King came out, so she named two of them Simba and Nala.  Simba being Swahili for lion.  Orion's a nice name.  I'd suggest going through books of stars and constellations or mythology.  Maybe language dictionaries if you fancy an exotic or mysterious sounding name.  I was going through a Latin dictionary and came across Bellatrix and Regulus, meaning 'warrioress' or 'war-like', and 'prince' or 'petty king' respectfully.   Harry Potter is full of good names.  I named one of the gerbils at college Albus because he was white in colour.  And my third hamster was named Carling after the alcoholic drink. (Not that I drink alcohol, it was my sister's suggestion!)   Let me know what you decide! 


	7. The Beast of Bodmin Moor

**Chapter Seven; The Beast of Bodmin Moor.**

'Mum, I'm going out!  I'll be back later, 'kay?'  Sirius shouted down the stairs to the lab.  When a faint reply sounded, Sirius hurried out of the house, across the road and rang the doorbell of his neighbour, Mrs. Fennel.

Mrs. Fennel was a young mother of twins.  When she opened the door, Sirius could hear the six-year-old girls running around upstairs, shouting what sounded like commentary for a two-player Quidditch match.  Mrs. Fennel's dirty blond hair was terribly windswept and her clothes slightly rumpled, but she smiled when she saw who was standing on her doorstep.

'Sirius!' she cried delightedly, beaming at him.  'I was wondering when you were going to come over.  How've you been?' 

'Fine, thank you.  I came over to ask if I could use your fireplace?'

'Of course you can, though you'd best be quick before the girls find out you're here.'

She led Sirius through to the living room.  It was cluttered with the girls' toys and books.  A feather duster was working its way over the mantle piece while a large box was shuffling slowly across the carpet, scooping up the toys.  

'Excuse the mess; I can't keep up with those two very well.  Could do with a house-elf, really.'

From overhead came a heavy thud and the smash of something breaking, followed by two shrill voices arguing over whose fault it was.

'Discovered Quidditch have they?' asked Sirius, grinning, as he heard the girls resumed their commentary and ran across the landing, their footsteps pounding through the ceiling.

Mrs. Fennel groaned and closed her eyes.  'I never should have taken them into Quality Quidditch Supplies; now it's all they can think about.  I wouldn't mind so much if they didn't keep throwing that silly Quaffle around.'

'But just think; they could be great players for their House Quidditch team when they go to Hogwarts.'

_'Don't_ get them started on Hogwarts!  I like to keep a hold on my sanity, thank you,' she said sternly, handing Sirius a jar of Floo Powder.  'So where are you off to, anyway?'

'A friend's.' Sirius smiled enigmatically.   Mrs. Fennel's blue eyes lit up with curiosity.  She loved hearing all about the pranks and jokes Sirius and his friends played at every opportunity.

'Ooh, got something planned?' she asked eagerly.

'Maybe.'

'So, you're not going to tell me?'  Her face fell in mild disappointment.

'What you don't know, you can't tell Mum.'

Mrs. Fennel laughed, waving him towards the fireplace. 

'Go on, get out of here!'

Sirius took a pinch of Floo Powder from the jar and sprinkled it into the fire.  The flames roared and turned a bright, emerald green.  Sirius stepped into the fire and shouted, 'Halfpenny Cottage!'****

The fire whipped Sirius into the turbulent Floo System.  Spinning very fast, Sirius shut his eyes tight as the warm air swirled around him.  The moment he felt himself slowing down, he braced himself.  The Floo System suddenly spat him out of a large stone fireplace and onto a soft brown rug.  Only just managing to keep his footing, Sirius straightened up and quickly sidestepped just as the fire expelled Peter, who skidded across the floor on the rug.

Remus and James were seated at the small, wooden table, waiting for them.  In the middle of the table lay a large map, a copy of the _Daily_ _Prophet_, a slim book and a silvery cloak.

James looked up as they made their belated entrance.

'About time.  Did you bring it?'

'Got about five tins of the stuff,' said Sirius, dumping his backpack onto the table, the contents clunking dully.

'Sure your mum doesn't mind you raiding her store cupboard?' asked Remus uncertainly.

'She doesn't know.  She said something about getting close to a breakthrough this last night so I didn't want to bother her.  I'm sure she doesn't need them.'

'Just as well,' said James.  'We're going to need as much as we can get.'

The Marauders gathered round the table.  James held up the _Daily_ _Prophet_ and turned to page four.  There was a short piece entitled:

**_Moonlit Howling Terrifies Locals_**

**_The normally peaceful air in the village of Bodmin, Cornwall, was shattered two nights ago when animalistic cries and howls sounded from across Bodmin Moor.  _**

**_The local villagers were understandably concerned as to the cause of such sounds.  As the majority of the population consists of Muggles, many believe the noises to have been made simply by a stray dog, perhaps injured and in need of help.  _**

**_A few misguided Muggles point the finger at a fanciful local legend of a giant wild beast that they believe haunts the Moor at night, despite a sore lack of evidence.   Surprisingly, while they have no proof, they may not be far from the truth._**

**_The small wizarding community in the area has another suspicion, given that the howls were heard on the night of the last full moon and nothing has been heard since._**

**_Upholding their fearful inquires, the Ministry's Beast Division will conduct a thorough investigation at the next full moon.  The Werewolf Capture Unit will be on standby as an added precaution._**

'My parents haven't seen that yet,' said Remus quietly.  He looked very tired; the dark circles under his eyes stood out against his paper-white skin.  'They had hoped I wouldn't meet anyone out in the middle of a moor, but I guess the Silencing Charms failed again.'

'Weren't they going to try that Containment Charm?' asked Sirius.

'Oh, yes, that worked fine, I couldn't break through it.  But Mum and Dad stayed up all night reinforcing it just to make sure.  They've been asleep longer than I have.  I was hoping to hide this from them but they're bound to find out when Ministry officials turn up on the moor; they'll want to move again.'

'Hey, don't worry, Moony.  Didn't I say I had a plan?'  James reread the article.  'The whole reason the local wizards are kicking up a fuss is because they heard noises during the full moon, right?'

'Right, so they're going to point the finger at werewolves,' said Sirius.  'Not a lot we can do about that.'

'Ah, _but_ … what if they heard something out on the moor _after_ the full moon?  I don't believe werewolves are capable of transforming at any other time.  Says right here;  'nothing has been heard since,' and the Ministry's only looking into it because of that.'

'But the locals think it's only a dog,' said Peter.

'Or this legend,' said James.  'Moony looked it up and I've got an idea.'

Remus picked up the book.  It title was 'Haunted Sites of Britain'.  It looked like it had come from a Muggle library.

'The Beast of Bodmin Moor is said to be a phantom creature of some kind, roaming the moor at night,' he said, flipping through the pages.  'Muggle witnesses claim that it has glowing red eyes, huge sharp teeth, is as black as the shadows and can vanish in an instant.  Mysterious animal prints have been found and photographed but no-one's sure what made them.'

He held out the book.  A fuzzy black and white photograph showed a faint mark in the mud.  There was no indication of size nor was there a clear outline.

'Looks like it could be from anything,' said Peter, squinting at it.  'You can hardly see it.'

'That's why some Muggles think the whole idea of a ghostly beast was a hoax.  But there have been a couple of supposed eye witness accounts.'

Remus turned the page.  There was an artist's impression of what the beast looked like.  

The charcoal sketch wasn't very neat but it was clear enough to make out a large set of gleaming teeth and large pale eyes on a monstrous, four-legged black creature.  It was slunk low to the ground with its shoulders hunched, as though it were about to leap off the page.  The fur all over its body was long, ruffled and shaggy; the tail long and plumed.  The four paws were enormous with long, sharp claws.

'Accounts vary but this is the most common description,' said Remus.

'_That's_ what the Muggles think is out there?' said Sirius, taking the book for a closer look.  'It looks like Cosmic when you poke him awake.'

'There is a rumour that it's only a cat, but as there's no evidence to prove or disprove either theory, no one knows what the truth is,' said Remus.

'Let me guess,' said Sirius, starting to grin.  'There's going to be a few new sightings reported soon?'

James grinned back evilly and held up his Invisibility Cloak.

'We have until nightfall to get ready, so let's get going!'

*

Bodmin Moor was practically on Remus' doorstep.  Just beyond the fence lay the huge open space, stretching for miles in all directions.

The grey sky above was overcast and a light drizzle of rain was falling.  The sun peeked through the clouds occasionally but its rays were weak and quickly chased away.

'Typical British summer,' said Sirius, watching the sky as they headed off down the road that ran over the moor, disappearing into the distance.

James surveyed the dreary landscape with satisfaction.

'It's perfect.  There should be some fog tonight, that'll make it easier.'

Peter looked around nervously.

'It is … er … rather big, isn't it?  Shouldn't we stick to the road?'

'Wormtail, we have to be out on the moor for this to work,' said James patiently.  'Besides, we won't be far from the road anyway.  We need to be seen.'

Peter didn't look convinced.

'But, what if there really _is_ something out there, like in the legend -'

'The only beasts out there are going to be us,' said Sirius firmly.  'There's nothing to worry about!'

'I doubt there's a ghost running around out here,' Remus agreed.  'Sceptics say it's more likely to be a panther, if anything.'

The other Marauders froze.  As one, they slowly turned round to stare at him.

'A _panther_?' said James, incredulously.  'What would a panther be doing wandering around in the British countryside?  I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but don't they live in the jungle or somewhere where it's hot?'

'True.  But it's believed that someone round here owned a black panther some years ago.  He was a wealthy man and he kept lots of exotic pets as a status symbol.'

'Crazy Muggle,' Sirius muttered in disbelief.  Remus nodded his agreement.

'Well, the story goes that the panther escaped one night, but because it was illegally imported, he never told anyone about it.  Another version says that he set it free when he couldn't care for it any longer; he most likely just wanted to get rid of it without the hassle of disposing of a body.'

Peter went white.

'So - so there _could_ be something out here-'

'I wouldn't panic, Wormtail.  If there _had been a panther it's probably dead by now.'_

'Was a body ever found?' asked Sirius.

'No. But look at the size of this place.  You could search for years and never find one, even if there was one to be found.'

'It's still a possibility, though?'

'A highly unlikely one, but yes, I suppose.  It is a fairly plausible explanation for the legend and the sightings, but some Muggles believe it is a ghost, whether it's of the panther or some other creature, no one knows.'

The Marauders stepped off the road and headed out over the moor.

'But if no one's seen this beast for years, do you still think we can pull this off, Prongs?' squeaked Peter, stumbling over the uneven ground.

'Course we will.'  James dug a hand into Sirius' backpack, pulled out a chunky tin and tossed it to Peter, who caught it clumsily. The label read: _Luminol_.  'People believe what they see.'

*

As James had predicted, by late afternoon a light fog had rolled in over Bodmin Moor.  Light was fading fast and the rain continued to fall gently.

Walking quickly down the empty road were two hikers; heavy packs on their backs and wrapped up in warm, bulky coats.

'Greg, are you _sure_ this is the right way?' asked one of them.

'Of course,' said Greg firmly, pulling his hat low over his eyes, shielding them from the rain.  'The village can't be much further.'

'But I think we're lost.'

'We _aren't _lost, Lucy.  We've stuck to the road, all we have to do is follow it.'

'Shouldn't we check the map?  Just in case?'  Lucy whined pathetically.  They'd been walking all day and her feet were killing her.  Never again was she going to listen to Greg's ramblings about how great camping was.  Next year, they were going abroad for sure.   'I still think we should have turned right at the crossroads.'

Rolling his eyes, Greg reluctantly took the map out of his pocket, if only to stop Lucy's whining.  He shook it open with a flourish.

'Look, right here.  This is where we camped, this is the road we started on, _there's_ the crossroads and _this is where we are now.  See?  We're not lost at all.  It's just a littler further.'_

Lucy peered over his shoulder at the rain-spotted map.  Typical, they still had about three miles to go.  And in the dark and rain.

A huge raindrop splattered onto the tiny print of 'Bodmin' when a strange sound rumbled out of the darkness.

Greg and Lucy looked up from the map.

'What was that?'  Lucy whispered, gripping his arm tightly.

Greg shrugged nonchalantly.

'Probably a dog.'

'Didn't sound like a dog.'

'Then what did it sound like?' said Greg, folding the map away and starting off again.

'How should I know?' moaned Lucy.  'I've never heard anything like that before!'

Off to their left came a distant bark.

'There, see?  What did I tell yah?  Just a dog.'

'That weren't no dog I heard,' repeated Lucy stubbornly.  'I never wanted to go camping in the first place.'

'It's an adventure!  An experience!'

'Oh, yes, wonderful.  I've experienced biting insects, sleeping on cold, lumpy ground and now weird noises in the dark.  Remind me to send a postcard to Emily - _Having a wonderful time, wish you were here.'_

'There's no need to be sarcastic.'

Lucy slowed to a halt, staring through the fog.

'Greg,' she whispered.  'Can you see that?'

'See what?'

Lucy pointed.

Up ahead, something was moving in the fog.  Greg stopped and squinted at it.

'Dunno … looks like some kinda -'

Two glowing red eyes suddenly appeared out of the darkness; narrowed and low to the ground.

Greg froze.  Lucy gave a small gasp behind him.

Neither of them moved.

The eyes moved slowly towards them.  A long muzzle came into sight, ghost-like on the edge of the fog.  Two large pointed ears stuck up from the beast's head, a huge furry body shrouded in shadow.  A low growl sounded.  A set of long, sharp white teeth glinted.  But what frightened Greg and Lucy the most was the eerie, misty quality of the animal.  It seemed to be composed only of light and shadow, drifting in and out of sight.

'Greg!'  Lucy hissed.  She sounded terrified.

The beast's eyes flashed in her direction.  Throwing its head back, a spine-chilling howl erupted from its jaws, echoing through the darkness.

Lucy screamed and ran as fast as she could back up the road, Greg only a few paces behind her.

The howling stopped.  The thundering of heavy paws came after them, running along the edge of the road.  Greg ran faster, grabbing Lucy's hand, shouting, 'Faster!'

A dark shape dove across the road in front of them.  Lucy stumbled and fell with a shriek, throwing her arms up over her head.  Greg moved to stand between her and the feral creature, brandishing a large stick he'd snatched up from the roadside.

'Get back!' he shouted.  'I'm warning you!'  He swung the stick in a wide arc, hoping to drive it off.

The creature's glowing eyes blinked slowly at him, standing perfectly still some ten feet away.  A thick swirl of fog drifted across the road between them.  Greg blinked - the beast had vanished.

Startled, Greg stumbled backwards towards Lucy, still holding the stick up in front of him, eyes darting left and right.  Where had it gone?

Shaking, Lucy slowly lowered her hands.

'Is - is it gone?' she whimpered.

'Yeah, yeah it has,' said Greg in an awed tone of voice.  'Into thin air.  Like a ghost or something.'

'A ghost?  But it looked alive!'

Greg nodded.  He was as white as a sheet.

'Let's keep moving,' he said in a firm voice.  _In case it comes back,_ he added silently.

Taking Lucy's hand, Greg pulled her to her feet and they hurried off down the road towards Bodmin, eyes peeled for any sign of the ghost, the mysterious moaning from far across the moor speeding them on their way.

*

About a mile back up the road, a group of teenage wizards heard the moaning and stopped to listen.  Flying over the moor on their brooms, the eighteen and nineteen year-olds had been practising Quidditch, out of sight of the Muggles.  A scarlet Quaffle was tossed from hand to hand as they sped through the night.

'What was that?' called a skinny brunette by the name of Cassandra.  'Listen, is that a werewolf?'

'Idiot.  There ain't no full moon,' sneered Jack, spinning the Quaffle on his finger before hurling it at her.  'Werewolves don't live round here anyway.'

Cassandra chucked the Quaffle down to Claude, who swooped low to the ground, caught it and flew off into the fog, barely visible.

'I think we ought to be getting back,' shouted Belinda, a bespectacled blond.  'I can hardly see a thing.'

'Oh, come on!  Ten more minutes and we'll call it quits, all right?' said Jack, flying low over her head teasingly.  'Hey Claude!  Where'd you go?'

David, the youngest of the group with a huge nose and short bristly hair, flew after Claude, shouting for him to throw the Quaffle back.  Then, out of the darkness, a huge shape suddenly leapt up from beneath him with a thunderous growl.

With a startled shout, David tumbled off his broom and fell several feet to land in the mud with a wet thud.

Cassandra and Belinda started screaming hysterically as a monstrous, ghost-like dog lunged at them, snarling furiously, its dark red eyes glowing brightly.

Jack yanked his broom up and shot out of reach.  But then Claude appeared abruptly above him; they collided and fell back to earth, splattering David with more mud.  A loud crack sounded; Jack's broom had snapped in two.

He swore loudly, but his words changed to a horrified bellow as something huge and hairy bowled him over.

Mingled with the screams came a long, low moan that seemed to come from all directions beyond their sight.

Howling triumphantly, the strange canine phantom took flight, running away into the night, vanishing into the fog.

Two beams of light lanced down through the fog.  Quickly, the dog changed direction, heading towards the eerie moans.  Running lightly over the slippery, uneven ground, he quickly lost the wand-lights from above.  The two girls had quit squealing long enough to consider searching for him.

A dark shape loomed out of the darkness.  The huge red-brown stag lowered his regal antlered head, opened his mouth and let out another bellow, the sound blaring out like a hunting horn, echoing strangely over the moor.

Barking gruffly in acknowledgement, the dog carried on past the stag, ears pricked, listening intently for another sound.

A shrill series of squeaks caught his attention; sounding in rapid bursts, three squeals at a time.  The sound led the dog to a shallow depression in the ground.  A plump grey rat was sat up on its hind legs, squeaking for all it was worth.

There came a rustle of fabric from behind the rat and a brown-haired head appeared, floating in mid-air.

'Padfoot, under here!'

The Invisibility Cloak was hoisted up and the dog dived underneath.  The Cloak fell over them both and they disappeared.

The glowing hound lay down, panting hard.  In an instant, Sirius appeared, hooting with glee.  His normally pale eyes were glowing blood red.  His clothes, skin and hair were glowing misty-white making him appear almost transparent.

'That was great!'  Sirius laughed, breathlessly.  'You should have seen their faces!  It was Jack Rockson and his mates, remember them?'

'Yeah, bunch of idiots.  They left Hogwarts last year, didn't they?' said Remus, prising open the lid of a tin of Luminol.  'So much for never seeing them again; I didn't realise they lived round here.  Keep still.'

Shaking the tin hard, a stream of yellow-white powder poured out all over Sirius' head.  The powder settled thickly in his long, shaggy hair and it started to glow, weakly at first then growing in intensity.  A milky shine swam over his eyes; the blue that had started to show through was washed away once more by a wave of deep scarlet.

In the blink of an eye, Sirius vanished, transforming into the huge, shaggy black dog, his Animagus form taking on the ethereal quality of a ghost. 

There was a scurrying in the dark to their left and Wormtail appeared under the Cloak.  There was a faint popping sound and Peter appeared.  He was massaging his throat, grimacing.

'Prongs says there's another couple heading out of Bodmin along the east-side track, if you're quick you can catch them at the crossroads,' he croaked hoarsely.

Sirius nodded with the canine equivalent of a smile.  Remus poured some more of the powder over his back, rubbing it into his thick fur.

'We've still got four tins of this stuff,' he said, grinning mischievously.  'We could be out here for quite a while!'

Shaking the loose dust out of his coat, Sirius was left with a glowing mist floating in the air around him, swirling as he moved.

With a joyous leap, the phantom canine burst out from under the Cloak, camouflaged in the fog, melting into the shadows.  He ran swiftly across the moor, the ground flying beneath his paws, his head held high as a wild howl echoed out into the night.

*

It was almost two in the morning when the Marauders finally decided to call it a night, mainly due to the lack of victims; the moor was deserted and despite their willingness to continue 'haunting' Bodmin Moor, they had used up the last of the Luminol Powder.

Returning to Halfpenny Cottage, Peter quickly took the Floo back to Norfolk.  James followed suit, hoping his parents weren't waiting up for him.  Sirius stayed with Remus for a while, spending nearly an hour in the shower trying to wash the powder out of his hair.  He still looked unnaturally pale when he eventually bade Remus goodbye and took the Floo back to Mrs. Fennel's living room, and sneaked out of the house as quietly as he could.

The street was dark and silent.  Walking as quickly and as quietly as possible, Sirius crossed the road and up to his house.  At the edge of the path, he paused.

The house, like all the others in the street, was dark, the curtains drawn.  Yet from behind the living room curtains, a flare of light shone.  Sirius stayed where he was.  The light was not particularly bright; a narrow beam sweeping round the room.  Abruptly it vanished.  The room was dark once more.

Sirius watched the house for a moment, wondering.  What was that?  A glance at the windows showed no sign of a break in.  

Slowly, Sirius walked up the path to the front door.  He reached for the handle.  Just as his hand touched it, the door was suddenly pulled open.  Startled, Sirius jerked back.

Richard was standing there in the doorway.  He didn't look particularly happy to see Sirius.  Sirius felt his stomach clench.  What was Richard doing up this late?  Somehow Sirius didn't think it was to see that he'd come home safely.

'Where have you been?' Richard growled.  'Do you have any idea what time it is?'

Sirius frowned.  After such a fun day he really didn't want it ruined at the last minute by some pompous git trying to act like his father.  Keeping his head held high, Sirius stepped back up onto the doorstep.

'What business is it of yours?' he said, attempting to side step around Richard and through the door.  As he brushed past, a large hand roughly seized his upper arm and squeezed it tight.  Caught by surprise, Sirius gasped in pain.

'Ow!  What are you -'

'Let's get one thing clear, shall we?'  Richard shoved his face right up to Sirius'.  Sirius winced, trying to pull out of Richard's grasp but the older man was far too strong.  'I don't like disobedient brats who have no respect for their elders.'

'Respect is earned,' Sirius snarled through gritted teeth,  'not freely given.'

He tried again to pull away but Richard grabbed his wrist.  Sirius yelped as Richard sharply twisted his arm behind his back, shoving him up against the wall.  Twisting his head, Sirius only just managed to avoid slamming his nose into the wall but his head hit it with a hollow thud.  A blinding pain pulsed through his head and the dark hallway tilted alarmingly.  He stumbled on the stairs as Richard forced him up them, and into his unlit bedroom.

Letting go of his arm, Richard spun Sirius round, raising his hand.

Sirius' vision was still swimming slightly. He staggered, trying to keep his balance and to move out of reach.  Richard's darkened features contorted into a cold smile.

'I don't believe your mother would be very impressed with you coming and going at all hours.  I'm sure she won't object to my teaching you a little discipline.' His eyes glinted maliciously.  Sirius wanted to move back but his body seemed to have frozen.  'Although I doubt you'll enjoy the lesson.  Do you understand?'

Sirius' heart was working at double-speed.  When he didn't answer immediately Richard smacked him across the face, the sound loud and sharp.  Sirius jerked back, stumbling against the bed.

'I said, _do you understand?'_  Richard demanded fiercely.

Sirius nodded numbly, which earned him another slap.

'Speak when you're spoken to, boy!' he hissed.  'One more time; do - you - understand?'

'Yes,' said Sirius quietly, reaching behind him and clutching the bed for support.

A twisted smile contorted Richard's cruel face.  He lowered his hand.

'Good.  End of the lesson.'  He turned and walked out of the room.  Just as he made to close the door, however, he stopped, adding, 'I look forward to the next lesson.  However, if you already understand the value of silence, I may consider cancelling it.   Sleep well.'  And he shut the door.

Shaking, Sirius sank onto the bed.  For a moment he couldn't feel anything; like what had just happened couldn't have been real.   

Closing his eyes, he rested his head in his hands; he winced as his left arm throbbed in protest.  Wincing in pain, Sirius flicked the bedside lamp on.  Holding his arm up to the light, he could see several angry red marks where Richard had grabbed him round the wrist and up near his shoulder.

The realisation sunk in slowly.  The stunned daze seemed to lift and Sirius considered going straight to his mother, waking her up and showing her what her wonderful man had just done. But a nasty thought pushed the notion aside.

What if she didn't believe him?  He didn't really have any proof that _Richard_ had done this.  The rational part of his brain told him that the marks could theoretically have come from anywhere - he often came home with bumps and bruises from Quidditch or horsing around with his friends.  Richard need only deny it.    Then his threat echoed horribly in Sirius' mind - the value of silence.

Sirius slowly changed into his pyjamas and climbed into bed, careful not to lie on his arm.  He lay staring up at the ceiling for a long time.  He was exhausted, but sleep wouldn't come.  A confused mass of thoughts raced through his mind as he tried to make his half-awake brain comprehend what had just happened.

Yet all he could recall was the way he'd frozen and an emotion that had overpowered him, more so than Richard's brute force.  

Sirius shivered.  He knew what it was he'd felt … and he didn't like it.

Fear.

*

**To Be Continued.**

*****

**Please review.  All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.**

*****

**Author's Notes.**

**NightSpear – **I'm quite fond of Cosmic too.  I haven't come across any fics regarding Sirius being a cat-hater; it strikes me as a bit odd.  In PoA he seemed rather fond of Crookshanks, so I took it from there that he liked cats and decided to develop it.  Another reason why I gave Sirius a pet cat was that I didn't to be stuck with the preconceived idea that only boys had owls and only girls had cats.

I'm afraid that Andromeda is prepared to turn a blind eye to any faults Richard has, simply because she graves the attention of a loving partner. I think that a lot of people do fall into that trap; and I confess I do have to include myself in that category, although the relationship did not last very long (thankfully!)  I opened my eyes and got out of it.  

Well, this chapter explained the letter, I guess.   Sirius hasn't been completely banned from contacting his friends; just from having owls coming to the house, so they are now being diverted to Mrs. Fennel's house across the road.

**Christy – **LOL!  Yep, I have noticed.  I can just image the other Marauders making every joke possible to wind him up.  ^_^   Although, for some reason, I like the idea of giving Sirius two middle names.  I know a few people who have them.  I quite like the sound of Sirius Orion Polaris Black.  Gets rid of the embarrassing initials, but is a bit of a mouthful.  Might depend on the pronunciation of 'Polaris'.  I've been told two ways – 'Polar-is' and 'Pol-lar-ris'.   Personally, I like the second one; it rolls of the tongue better when you say the whole name.  ^_^  Anyway, that's my version of Sirius' name.  I'll use it in another fic at some point.

**WallyTheWhale – **Brilliant!  I can feel the hate!  Hopefully now you've read this chapter you'll have a whole new reason to hate him.  Hee hee, I couldn't resist putting in 'stray dogs', it just struck me as funny that he has no idea about Sirius' ability.  ^_^  Why does he think he can lecture Sirius?  Because he's something of a control freak.  As far as he's concerned, he's 'the man of the house' and thus entitled to some control over what goes on.   And he's not keen on animals (as you may have noticed) so having a wild bird fluttering around one of the bedrooms falls short of the 'intriguing' category and straight onto the 'I don't like this, I won't allow it' list.  

Hey, hold up.  Andromeda has not banned Sirius completely.  She just doesn't want owls flying around when Richard might see them.  All his letters are to be dropped off at their neighbour, Mrs Fennel.  Since Richard has shown himself to be adverse to birds, Andromeda is growing more reluctant to tell him that she's a witch, so she's continuing her efforts to hide any evidence of it.  She's scared of losing him, you see.

The letter was an invite to come over to Remus' house to cause a bit of mayhem.  Thought it might cheer him up.  ^_^  Of course I ended it there!   Aren't cliff-hangers annoying? *evil cackle*  I can do worse! 

Zucchin; yes I think that picture is indeed baby marrows.  Right, that's that figured out!   

Wally the Whale and Patty the Penguin.  Cute.  I've got a polar bear named Rob.  No story behind it.  I bought a stuffed wolf last summer.  Guess what I named him?  Remus!  No prizes for guessing where I got that from.  ^_^

**TiniTinuviel – **Wow, thanks for reviewing several chapters!  I'm glad you're enjoying it.  Yes, I did write down the sort of conversation I have with my siblings.  My sister and I have something of a breakfast ritual whereby she deliberately cuts the crust off her toast and leaves it, which really annoys me for some bizarre reason, and so we tease each other about it.  Oh, and that bit when Sirius acts far too perky in the morning towards Ursa?  I did that to my sister one morning; she is not a morning person in the slightest.  I think my manic grin was a bit too much for her – she looked ever so scared!  ^_^   

Hey, I'm already working on my next fic.  It's going to be so long it probably won't be seen for months.  But I'm hoping it'll be as good as this one, or better.  

**MorganD – **Andromeda is a bit desperate, yes.  Sad, but true.  Ah, the possible problem with the fires?  She has one in her lab, and since she's in there a lot, any work calls have to come through there.   And she doesn't often get owls, and they'll be sent to her neighbour anyway.  They're good friends, so Mrs Fennel doesn't mind doing her a favour and picking up the post.

**Orion-San – **Yeah, I find that really irritating, too.  I don't mind so much if people ask if they can shorten my name, but when they just assume it's okay, it really gets on my nerves.  I have on occasion ignored people until they use my full name.  It's worked a number of times.  

I'd probably freak out a bit too, if an owl flew in my window.  I'd also think it was really cool, but it would be so strange if it really happened.

**Prongs4 – **LOL.  Thank you!  Enjoy the chapter.

**Squintz1 – **I think Aristophanes is a mouthful!  ^_^  Aww, Toffee is sweet.  I bet the name Fudge has fallen out of favour with Harry Potter fans.  (I've got into the habit of saying 'Fudge it!' when I do something stupid.  ^_^  ) Anyway, your kitten sounds really cute.  I love tabby cats.  A friend of mine had a silver and black tabby named Zebra; she was adorable.       


	8. The Gentle Warrior

**WARNING – The following chapter contains descriptions of martial arts self-defence techniques.  Please use your common sense and do not attempt to perform any of them on friends or siblings; they can cause a lot of harm if done incorrectly.  If you wish to learn martial arts or self defence, I suggest that you get yourself signed up for lessons and be taught be a qualified tutor.  Thank you for reading.**

**Chapter Eight; The Gentle Warrior.**

Sirius slept badly.  Nightmares about being trapped within a burning building full of fire and smoke plagued him throughout the night.  He couldn't breathe.  He could hear screaming around him, but when he tried to get away he discovered he couldn't move; a knife was being held to his throat.  A dark shadow swirled around him and the fire reached for him, his arm immersed in flame, searing in agony –

Sirius jerked awake, realising a moment later, that the pain in his arm was real.  He'd rolled over in his sleep and had been lying on it.  Pulling it out from under the bed covers, Sirius found cruel blue-black bruises had come up during the night.  His arm was stiff and very sore.  Sirius bit his tongue as a painful throb shot up his arm; he'd moved it too quickly.

The sunlight pouring in the window gave Sirius the impression that he'd been asleep too long.  He dragged himself out of bed, dislodging Cosmic who had turned up in the early hours, returning from a night of hunting and prowling round the streets, to curl up on the end of his bed.  Moving into Sirius' vacated warm spot, the cat promptly curled up and went back to sleep.  

Sirius entered the kitchen to find it deserted.  A note lay on the table.

_Sirius,_

_Richard and I have gone out for the day.  We won't be back until late this evening – there's lasagne in the fridge for dinner.  Ursa is out with Bethany; she'll be in town, then at Beth's house in the afternoon and back around six so you've got the house to yourself.  Lock up if you're going out.  We'll see you later._

_Love Mum._

Not feeling very hungry, Sirius made himself a piece of toast then went back upstairs to get dressed.  He pulled on a long-sleeved shirt with some difficultly; his arm protesting against the movement.  He wandered round the house locking all the windows and doors, and then headed over to Mrs. Fennel's house.

Mrs. Fennel greeted him cheerfully and quickly steered him in the direction of the fireplace.  The twins were out in the garden playing with a Quaffle but as soon as they'd heard the doorbell, had come running back to the house.  The last time he'd made the mistake of waiting and saying hello to them, Sirius had ended up having to answer an endless stream of questions about Hogwarts and magic.  Charlotte and Victoria had clung to him like limpets, and every time Sirius had tried to get away, they would burst into tears, begging him to stay with their huge pleading eyes.

Sirius escaped into the fire just as the girls came in the back door.  Their disappointed cries followed him into the Floo network.

Preoccupied with his thoughts, Sirius was startled to be so abruptly expelled from Remus' fireplace.  He fell onto the rug using his hands to keep himself from kissing the floor.  A sharp pain shot up his arm and he bit his tongue hard to keep from crying out.

'Padfoot, are you all right?' came an anxious voice.  Remus was standing over him, looking concerned.

Sirius got on his feet, ignoring the pain.

'Yeah, I'm – _umph!'_

Sirius fell to the floor again as Peter came flying out of the fireplace, arms flailing and crashing into him.  Both of them hit the floor with a crash.

'Oh!  Sorry, Padfoot!  I'm _really_ sorry!'  Peter started to babble in his haste to get off him.  He'd only just got to his feet, however, when James shot out of the fireplace as well, slamming into Peter, sending him scrawling over Sirius again.  James wobbled precariously, lost the battle to regain his balance, and promptly fell on top of them both.

'Ow!'

'Sorry, I didn't mean – '

'Get _off_!'

Remus stepped forward to help them.  He seized James' hand and pulled him up.  Peter rolled off Sirius, clumsily getting to his feet, grabbing hold of a nearby chair to heave himself up and to keep from falling over again.

Sirius was still on the floor.  He slowly pushed himself up, his left arm shaking.  Remus' sharp hearing caught a low hiss of pain, but Sirius turned away slightly as he sat up.

'Sirius, what's wrong?'  Remus moved towards him, trying to see him better, but Sirius ignored the question, clambering to his feet.

'Nothing, I'm fine,' he said shortly, pulling the sleeve of his shirt down, though not before Remus spotted the large ring of buries encircling his wrist.  He looked quickly at Sirius, his eyes confused and disturbed.

'Padfoot, your arm – '

'I _said_ I was fine,' Sirius snapped.  'Don't you listen?'

Remus looked very taken aback, backing off uncertainly.  James and Peter stared at Sirius in surprise.

'Padfoot, Moony only asked if you were okay,' said James evenly.  'There's no need to be so snappish.'

Sirius didn't say anything.  Remus looked hurt and he avoided Sirius' eye, heading out into the back garden.  James cast Sirius a reproachful look before following, Peter scurrying after them.

Sirius followed a few moments later.

The Lupins' garden was huge.  Several trees growing along the back fence cast a cool shadow over part of the long grass.  Wild flowers bloomed everywhere in a multitude of colours, butterflies bobbing through the air above them.

The Marauders sat down under the trees in the shade.  Remus sat down a reasonable distance from Sirius, clearly still upset with him.  Sirius felt bad for snapping at his friend, but his arm was still aching unpleasantly, and the pain made him feel irritable.

James had brought a copy of the _Daily_ _Prophet_ with him.  Smirking in a very satisfied manner, he opened it out with a flourish, and began to read aloud.

**_Spectral Demon Dog Sighted On Moor_**

**_Recently under investigation following concerns raised over possible lycanthrope threats to the local community, the village of Bodmin, Cornwall, experienced a second night of terror as wizards and Muggles alike became victims of a series of harrowing attacks by what is believed to be a spectral dog._**

**_The ghostly assailant was sighted on Bodmin Moor yesterday in the early evening as night began to fall.  Shrouded in fog, the animal was near invisible until it came within mere feet of its intended targets; among them a Muggle couple on a camping holiday and a group of young witches and wizards practising Quidditch._**

**_Young Cassandra Delphi relived her terrifying experience for our _****DailyProphet_ reporter._**

**_'I heard noises in the dark, it was like nothing I'd ever heard before; a low haunting sort of groan, it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.  Then this monstrous beast came out of nowhere and attacked us.  It was enormous – must have been at least the size of a pony!  Its eyes glowed like fire – ' _**

**_Miss Delphi was so overcome by her fright she visibly shuddered but bravely continued her account._**

**_'It was so fast; it couldn't have been real.  Its fur was almost transparent.  We did think it was a ghost but it physically struck my boyfriend before disappearing into thin air.'_**

**_All visual accounts have confirmed that the dog is indeed a ghoul of some kind.  Experts at the Ministry of Magic Spirit Division have been notified.  They believe the dog to be either a restless wraith that is attempting to claim the moor as its territory, or simply someone's pet gone astray.  Whilst no one has yet reported a ghost-hound as missing, the Spirit Division are exploring every avenue in an attempt to trace an owner._**

**_Previous suspicions of werewolf activity have been revoked in light of this new development.  Plans to capture the free-roaming canine are under consideration.  In the meantime, residents of Bodmin are cautioned to stay inside after dark.  Once the dog has been found, a temporary home will be arranged until its owner can be traced._**

'So how about that then?' James smiled, folding the newspaper up and tossing it onto the grass.  'No werewolves in Cornwall, just a stray ghost hound wandering around!'

Remus smiled appreciatively.  

'Thanks guys, that was brilliant!  All my parents are worried about now is my running across this creature if it isn't caught by the next full moon.'

'That's better than putting up another 'For Sale' sign, isn't it?'

'Definitely, I really like it here.  I don't want to have to move again so soon.'

'There's not a lot to do around here though, is there?' asked James, looking over the fence in the direction of the village.

'I find stuff to do,' said Remus, leaning back against the tree behind him.

'Like what?' asked Peter.

'I practise Ju Jitsu with my dad a lot,' said Remus.  'He goes mental if I don't practise enough.'

'Ju what?' said Sirius, James and Peter simultaneously.

'Ju Jitsu,' said Remus, pronouncing it slowly.  'It's a martial art.'

'You mean like Karate or Judo?' asked James, sitting up with interest.

'Yes, only Ju Jitsu is primarily a method of self defence.'

Sirius glanced up at Remus, but he wasn't looking at him.

'But does it have the belts?' asked Peter.  'Like in Karate?'

'The grading is similar to Karate.' Remus thought for a moment.  'I had to give up the lessons when I moved here, but I think I remember my sensai saying that there were about fourteen belts.'

'Do you have one then?'  James looked very impressed.

'I'm only a yellow belt,' said Remus, sounding a little embarrassed.  'That's only the second grade belt, after the white.'

'What's a sensai?'  Peter looked confused.

'A sensai is the instructor; it's Japanese.  Ju Jitsu means 'the art of softness', or words to that effect.'

'Softness?'  James snorted derisively.  'Doesn't sound very lethal.'

Remus rolled his eyes.

'Don't be fooled; this art was the one implemented by the Samurai warriors and ninjas of ancient Japan – so it can be _very_ lethal.  It's one of the oldest of all martial arts; in fact, Karate and Judo were developed from Ju Jitsu techniques hundreds of years ago.  As for the name, the softness, or gentleness, actually refers to you learning to remain calm and in control of the situation.  It isn't about brute force or being able to do high kicks and jumps; it's more about learning how to execute the techniques against an attacker with minimum force but with the most effective results.  And of course without getting yourself hurt.'

Sirius could feel Remus' cool gaze on him, but when he raised his head Remus was no longer looking at him.  James and Peter were looking at Remus, seemingly very impressed.

'My parents wanted me to learn how to defend myself since I can't use my wand outside of school until I'm seventeen, so self-defence classes seemed to be the obvious answer.'

'Can you show us?' said Peter, eyes sparkling with interest.  'I want to see.'

'Yeah, go on, Moony,' said James.

Remus gave a shy smile, and then got to his feet.

'Okay, but I'll need someone to attack me.'  He looked down at Sirius, who was rather focused on some ants in the grass.  'Padfoot?'

James shoved Sirius' shoulder; he meant it playfully but he'd touched his left arm, right where the bruises were.  Reluctantly, Sirius got up.  They both moved out into the open space, facing each other a few feet apart.

Remus held out his arm.

'Grab my wrist,' he instructed.  'Hard.'

Sirius didn't move; he looked hard at Remus.  Remus simply stood there, offering his wrist.  Then, without a word, Sirius stepped forward and grabbed Remus' thin wrist, gripping it firmly.  In a blur of moment, Remus had suddenly pulled his hand free, seemingly without effort.

'Hang on, what did you just do?' said James, standing up.  'I missed it.'

'All right.  Padfoot, grab me again.'

Sirius seized his wrist, holding it tighter than before.  This time Remus explained and demonstrated it slowly.

'What you have to do is simply rotate your hand in a small sharp circle,' he said, slowly moving his hand up and over Sirius' hand,  'until you come to the weakest point which is the gap between the fingers and thumb, then just pull free.'  And he smoothly drew his wrist out of Sirius' grasp, which had weakened because of the awkward position Remus had manoeuvred his hand into.  'It's called the Magic Circle, because it'll work whichever way you turn your hand.' 

'Clever,' said James.

'Of course you can make it easier by using your other hand; just protrude the knuckle of your middle finger and grind it into the back of the attacker's hand and they'll let go more easily,' said Remus.   'Some the techniques are quite easy, they just take a bit of practise to get them right, and to remember what to do when you really need to use them.

'That's the hardest part really,' he admitted.  'A lot of people have a tendency to freeze up and forget what they could do to help themselves; it's perfectly natural but if you practise these enough, it practically becomes a reflex and you won't even have to think about it to do it.'

'What else can you do?' asked Peter eagerly.

'I'll show you what to do if someone grabs the front of your shirt.  Prongs, you attack me this time.'

James reached out and seized a fistful of the shirt Remus wore.  Once again, Remus showed them step-by-step.

'Okay, first you grab their hand,' he said, putting his hand over James'.  'Then aim a strike at the face.'  James moved his head back slightly as Remus put his fist close to his face.  This retreat loosened his grip on Remus who then withdrew his fist, pulled James' hand off him and, using both hands, slowly twisted it over so that the back of the hand was now facing him.

'This will hurt so I won't do it too hard,' said Remus warningly.  'The idea is to apply pressure to the wrist joint and get the attacker off balance.  See where I've got my fingers on the wrist where it bends?  By pushing on the back of the hand with my thumbs, I can push the hand forward but since my fingers stop it bending properly, it hurts.'

Remus gently applied a small amount of pressure but stopped the moment James opened his mouth to say, 'Ouch!'   Remus swiftly sidestepped, once, twice, twisted to the side, and brought James to the floor.  James landed scrawled on his back, amazed.

Remus gave him an evil grin.  

'I could put another lock on your wrist while you're down there.  Want to see?'

James shook his head vigorously.

'No, no, that was plenty,' he said.  Remus let go of his wrist and James lay there massaging it for a moment. 

'Rotate your wrist a few times, that'll ease the pain,' said Remus.  'I should warn you that bruises come as standard with learning this.'

Peter's smile faltered.

'D-did you ever get hurt?  Learning this stuff?'

'Occasional bumps and bruises, nothing serious.  You have to be very careful when applying locks because if you go too far you can really hurt someone.  If someone has you in a lock while you're training and it starts to hurt, just do this.' Remus slapped his hand twice against his thigh; two loud claps rang out in quick succession.  'That's the signal to alert your partner to stop, and you _have_ to stop as soon as you hear it.  If you don't, you could seriously injure someone.'

James and Peter nodded, eagerly waiting to hear more.  Sirius stood a short distance away, and, despite his initial reluctance, couldn't mask his interest, watching and listening attentively.

Remus watched James clamber back onto his feet and brush himself off.

'Maybe I ought to show you guys how to fall properly,' he said thoughtfully. 

'What?  Hit the ground?  Didn't I do that already?' laughed James.

'It's the very first thing I was taught, Prongs, and it's relevant to almost all the techniques.  If you'd broken your fall correctly just now, it wouldn't have hurt so much.  I'll show you …'

Remus proved to be a very good teacher, taking them all through each manoeuvre slowly, explaining it carefully, and then letting them have a go at it.

Sirius paid close attention as Remus demonstrated how to break a fall correctly.  Remus dived forward, tucked his head, used his forearm to cushion the fall, and rolled back up onto his feet in one smooth motion.  

'Just start from a crouch,' Remus said.  Peter was looking scared.  'You don't have to try to dive through the air.  It's just like a forward roll, go on.'

James bravely went first and was ever so surprised to find himself back on his feet in seconds.  Peter tried, managed the roll okay, but fell backwards as he tried to get up.  

Slowly, Sirius crouched on the grass.

'Tuck your head down, Padfoot,' said Remus.  'Then just lay your forearm on the ground and roll forward.'

Sirius did as instructed, rolled forward and his momentum brought him back up onto his feet.  Much to Sirius' relief, his arm hadn't hurt.  

They tried the break fall again; Sirius hoped that none of them noticed that he only practised using his right arm.

Remus then showed them a variety of other break-falls.  Sirius winced as Remus dropped straight from a standing position, hitting the ground with his forearms.  Luckily Remus moved onto blocks before insisting that they try them out.

'There are ten different blocks,' Remus explained.  'Well, actually there's eleven but the last one is rather awkward so we don't really use it.'

Peter, James and Sirius took turns trying to punch Remus, aiming at his head and his stomach; Remus blocked each punch quickly and feinted a return strike.  'You always follow a block with a strike, that's one of the basic rules.' 

Sirius wasn't overly keen on trying these but Remus partnered with him, using a minimum of force, although Sirius refused to show that his arm stung.

'Really, the more force someone uses to hit you, the more it hurts _them_ when you block it. By using your forearm to strike at their wrist or middle of their forearm, you deflect the strike and cause them some pain at the same time, then aim a strike at the chest or face; whatever you can reach.'

What impressed the Marauders further were the techniques used whilst lying on the floor in case someone managed to get you down.  As Remus pointed out,  'Just because you're down, doesn't mean you're out.' And he skilfully sent Peter tumbling to the ground with hardly any effort at all.

'Escaping from someone attempting to strangle you is easier than most people would think,' said Remus, as Peter nervously put his hands around his neck.  'What people fail to realise is that while your assailant's hands are occupied, you still have full use of your own.  First, you trap one hand so they can't run,' Peter gave a nervous whimper as Remus pinned his hand to his shoulder.  'Strike the face with your other hand, grab their trapped hand, pull it off and twist the arm.'  Peter staggered as Remus applied the arm lock, stepping in and pushing down gently on Peter's shoulder blade.  'You can then just push the arm a little further …' Peter slapped his thigh quickly and Remus immediately let go.  'Alternatively, you can do what I did earlier to Prongs when he grabbed my shirt, it works in the same way, only you twist the arm in the opposite direction to bring the attacker to the floor.  Plus you can kick them once they're down so they won't get up straight away and you have a few moments to run.'

Remus then showed them how to escape someone strangling from behind.  James grabbed Remus around the neck and, sensing that Remus might hit him again, stood back as far as he could.  Remus smiled.

'There's not a lot of point doing that, Prongs,' he warned, clapping his hands behind his back.  'I don't need to see you to know whereabouts you are.'

Swiftly, Remus trapped one hand, took a big step back, twisted and elbowed James in the ribs.  In moments, Remus had wrapped an arm round James' waist, grabbed his upper arm, dropped into a long fighting stance, twisted his body, and neatly thrown James to the floor.  James gave a startled yelp as he hit the floor, shutting his eyes tight as Remus aimed a punch at his face.

'That's when you could have practised your side break fall,' said Remus, tutting somewhat like Professor McGonagall.

The 'lesson' carried on for quite some time, the Marauders really getting into it.  Sirius found that the more he practised each manoeuvre, the easier it became, not to mention that he hardly the noticed the pain in his arm.

Mrs. Lupin came out into the garden during the afternoon to fetch Peter; his father had just called and wanted Peter to return home.  Disappointed, Peter glumly left, though Remus promised that if they wanted to learn a bit more, they were welcome back at any time.

James departed an hour later, before his parents started worrying.  Sirius was just about to leave as well when Remus suddenly moved up beside him, taking hold of Sirius' wrist, right over the bruises.  Gasping in pain and surprise, Sirius swore under his breath and quickly pulled his hand out of the vice-like grip.  He glared murderously at Remus, but Remus simply gave him a sombre half-smile.

'Just checking you were paying attention.'

'Next time, try tapping me on the shoulder,' Sirius hissed, his temper flaring up again.

'Next time, try to remember how to do this,' said Remus, rotating his hand in the same motion Sirius had just used.  'You won't get hurt as badly.'

Sirius meant to glare, but it faltered.  He self-consciously rubbed his arm.  It wasn't as painful as it had been that morning.  Hesitantly, he slowly rolled up the sleeve.  The ugly ring of buries had faded to a sickly yellow and green.  Remus simply looked at them, then up at Sirius.

'I didn't want to say anything in front of the others and I know you don't want to say, so I'm not going to waste my breath asking … but I know what made those marks.' He held up his own wrist.  'I've seen those kind of marks before.  Hurt a lot, don't they?'

Sirius didn't say anything.  He looked at Remus questioningly.

'Mobs – occupational hazard of Dark Creatures,' said Remus softly.  'Why'd you think my parents wanted me to learn self-defence?  It's a good thing that Ju Jitsu doesn't require you to be physically strong otherwise after a full moon I won't be able to help myself the next time they show up on the doorstep.'

'Don't say that,' said Sirius, looking pained.

'Why not?  It happens to be true and I can't do anything to change that.'  He looked Sirius straight in the eye, looking more serious than his friend had ever seen him before.  'You, however, _can_.  Now, I don't know what's going on exactly, but don't let the problem get out of hand.  If you need help don't hesitate to ask for it.  We _are_ your friends and I for one owe you a lot.'

Sirius felt deeply ashamed of himself.

'Moony, I didn't mean to snap at you earlier – '

'Forget about it.  I already have.'

They smiled uncertainly at each other.

'I guess I'd better get back,' said Sirius slowly.

'Yeah.  I'll see you?'

Sirius smiled, turned and stepped into the fireplace.  The flames roared and he was gone.

Remus stood watching the crackling green flames as they returned to normal.  After a few moments, he turned and walked away.

*****

**To Be Continued.**

*****

**Please review.  All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.**

*

**Author's Notes.**

Just as a reminder, please don't go trying these out on friends or siblings (however annoying you find them).  I have been practising Ju Jitsu for over a year now, and as the bruises on my arms will attest, these techniques _hurt_ even when you're doing them correctly.  If you want to perform marital arts, sign yourself up for Ju Jitsu lessons, or another self-defence group.  I have included these in _Heart of a Star_ as an example of one of the options open to people who fear being attacked.  

It's a sad fact of the world that we live in that more and more people feel threatened when they're in a home or work environment, when they needn't feel afraid.  I myself took up Ju Jitsu classes after several years of bullying and the growing fear of physical attacks – I'm young, female, five foot four and slender in build with not a lot of physical strength; I look like an easy target, whether it's for mugging or rape.  And far too often I've heard about people disappearing and turning up dead, having been raped and/or strangled.  It really makes me wonder that if those unfortunate victims had known any form of self-defence, would they still be with us?  If anything, I believe they would have had a chance.

I never want to be in a situation where I have to use what I've learned, but if I do, I know I won't be helpless.   

Don't be a victim – learn how to defend yourself.

**TiniTinuviel – **Ah well, it wouldn't have quite the same impact if you could see it coming a mile off. ^_^  I was quite pleased when I came up with the haunting of Bodmin Moor prank., it just struck me as something the Marauders would find amusing, to play on an actual legend, and to help a friend in the process.  Not to mention that I had to think of a prank that didn't involve magic (excluding the Animagus transformation).

**Prongs4 – **I'm glad you enjoyed it; I certainly enjoyed writing it!  One of my favourite chapters that one.

**NightSpear – **The first blow indeed, and of course by 'first' it means that there will be more.  And it's not the only weapon Richard has at his disposal, as you will see in the next chapter.

**Christy – **I'm surprised that the idea isn't used more, too.  Okay, I've seen him acting as a Grim once (scared the living daylights out of Professor Trelawney in the process!) but I liked having more of a noble purpose behind it.  I read about the beast of Bodmin Moor years ago, not sure how it is I can remember it so well but I'm glad I did! ^_^

I like your evaluation of Richard being 'disturbing and aggressive', that's perfect!  I never thought I'd be able to write a character that could generate so much dislike.  Yay for me.  And never fear, I won't stop posting the fic.  I find it so irritating when people just stop  in the middle of  –

Just kidding.  ^_^

**WallyTheWhale – **Good word use there!  And yes, sadly, that happens to a lot of people; they fear they won't be believed because they can't prove it, so don't say anything and leave themselves open to further attacks.  

Nope, James' parents didn't catch him coming home in the early hours, so he wasn't grounded. 

You didn't hate Peter?  Yay!  I agree, he had to have been a good friend at that stage, in fact, he must have been a good friend for quite some time if Lily and James agreed to trust him as the Secret Keeper.  He needs to be portrayed in a positive light once in a while to remind people that he was considered a good friend; he wasn't always a little backstabber, however much we hate him now.  I have been considering writing a short fic based on him, maybe showing how overshadowed he felt by his talented friends, but I haven't got round to planning it out just yet.  Too busy with planning the follow up to Tell No Lies and Take It Back – that one's over forty chapters long!

School?  Fun?  Do I detect a hint of sarcasm there?  Hee hee, I've finished school.  *leans back in chair and puts feet up on the office desk*  If only I could still take holidays like students …

The witch across the street is called Irene Fennel, and her daughters Charlotte and Victoria.  Glad you like them!  Strong vocabulary this week? *snaps a pair of earmuff on* Well, I'm kinda hoping you won't find a reason to, with this chapter anyway.  Save it for chapter nine!

**Orion-San – **Wow, little eager for the beatings, are we?  Oh well, each to their own.  ^_^  Oh, I can't ignore people for very long – if it's just them calling me by that irritating shortened version of my name and they don't get a response, they usually try again, addressing me properly.  They soon get the hint about what I want to be called.

**Lil Lupin – **Yay, I did okay on the apostrophes!  Getting the hang of them at long last.  Just need to remember there's one in St Mungo's for the next fic.  

**Squintz1 – **You thought that prank was funny?  Wait until you see what they pull later on in the summer!  I had so much pleasure writing it.  ^_^  You'll see why later on.

**Semmel – **Hello there!  Haven't seen you for a while.  Aw, 'The Greatest Gift' still your favourite?  To be honest it's mine too.  My first completed fic, and a Marauder story to boot.

Hey, you are actually totally right!  Not a coincidence in the slightest – I'm a bit of a Buffy fan and the episode of 'Ted' was one that helped to inspire this fic.  Richard owes a fair bit of his character to Ted, acting like the perfect gentlemen to some people but an absolute tyrant to others.  And you are right, there are too many people out there who are like both these characters.  Victims are often too scared to admit to being hurt, that's why it goes unnoticed for too long in many situations.  Hence the reason why Sirius won't admit it to his friends, but Remus is quite perceptive, he knows there's something amiss.


	9. The Devil's Workshop

**Authors Notes**

The Tarot deck that Sirius is using in this chapter is the Dragon Tarot, so the images described are slightly different to those in the standard decks like the Riders Waite deck.  I gave Sirius this particular deck simply because it's the one that I use.  Favouritism?  Me?  Nooo.  ^_^

**Chapter Nine; The Devil's Workshop**

The next few days passed without incident, although this was mainly due to Sirius' efforts to avoid Richard.  Sirius wanted nothing more than to have a single Richard-free day, but this remained no more than a distant longing. Richard stayed over so often, it was as if he had moved in with them.  While this proposition had not yet been mentioned, Sirius feared that his mother's relationship with Richard would eventually progress to the point where the possibility would be addressed.  It was a sickening thought.

Whilst around Andromeda or Ursa, Richard played the 'perfect gentleman', but Sirius was all too aware of the warning glares sent his way when his mother and sister weren't looking.  Sirius refused to acknowledge them, and was pleased to see that this small act of defiance irritated Richard.  However, the older man could do nothing with Andromeda at home twenty-four-seven. There was a definite air of suppressed triumph and excitement about her whenever she appeared, dropping hints that she was finally making progress with her research.

Richard was full of praise and lively interest.

'That's wonderful news, Ann!' he said, greeting her with a kiss as she informed them all that she had finally discovered why the research hadn't been progressing.  'A Nobel Prize on the way, I assume?'

'I wouldn't go that far,' said Andromeda airily.  'But I'm just _so_ pleased!  I mean, I just knew that the problem had to be with the catalyst; it was activating the base-line components much too early and disrupting the entire process – terminating the cellular structure when it should have been stimulating- '

By which point, Sirius and Ursa had already tuned out their mother's voice.  When she started babbling, she would quickly start using a lot of medical jargon that Sirius barely knew half the meanings of.  As far as Richard was aware, Andromeda was a medical researcher for a London hospital; it seemed the easiest explanation for what she did for a living.

Homework continued to be a welcome distraction.  Although it was a great excuse not to be in the same room with Richard, insisting he needed peace and quiet to be able to concentrate, Sirius also made a point of having Ursa in the room with him.  As far as Ursa was concerned, it was simply to keep one another company while they did their schoolwork.  But Sirius had another reason; so long as Richard didn't catch him on his own, he was safe.

Sirius had dealt with his bruised arm using the Bruise Balm he'd found in the bathroom cabinet.  He doubted that his mother would even notice the fading marks, but if Ursa saw them she was sure to ask about them.   

Still, at least with his sister around, it provided a perfect opportunity to talk to her.  Using the excuse that he needed to practise his Tarot reading, Sirius and Ursa sat on the floor in his bedroom, out of the way of Richard, who was busy fawning over their mother in the living room.  

'You can't tell me you like him?' said Sirius disbelievingly, shuffling the cards.

Ursa shrugged.

'Richard's okay,' she said.

'Richard's a git, that's what he is.' Sirius handed her the deck.  'Thinks he can dictate to us how we ought to live.  I wish he'd shove off and leave us alone.'

'But Mum likes him,' said Ursa, cutting the deck and passing it back.  'If he wasn't very nice then Mum wouldn't invite him over so much, would she?'

Sirius ignored the comment, focusing on shuffling the cards instead.

'Right, what's your question?' he asked, giving the cards to her again to shuffle.

'I don't really have one,' she said.  'Do I have to ask one?'

'Well, if you don't have a question I could try to give a reading of what's going on in your life recently,' Sirius suggested.

Ursa nodded and gave him back the cards.  Sirius dealt the first seven cards, placing them on the floor between them in a Horseshoe spread.

'Okay, first card is the issue,' said Sirius, flipping it over.  _Seven of Cups_.  A jet-black dragon, its body glistening with stars, was hovering in the air, surrounded by seven blue-white goblets, each bearing a different symbol.

'Confusion … unsure of what decision to make.' Sirius gave his sister a shrewd look.  'You _have _chosen your subjects for next year, haven't you?'

'Yes, I have, and Divination is not one of them.'

'Why not?  It's good fun.'

'I just think it's silly.  How can you predict the future with a deck of cards with pictures on them?  My friend Bethany says that horoscopes and such aren't accurate.'

'Gran predicted your exact date and time of birth by reading the stars,' said Sirius smugly.  'No one else thought that you'd arrive six weeks early and at seven o'clock in the morning.  And remember when she told us not to use the Floo on the 9th of April, three weeks in advance?  The Floo Network was chaos on that day; people getting spat out of the wrong fireplaces all over the country.  Gran always said that she possessed the Sight.'

'Yeah, but Gran also said that she'd passed her gift on to one of us,' said Ursa blandly.  'Personally I've never had weird visions and the closest you've ever come to a correct prediction was that time you said it was going to rain the day Dad had planned to take us out.'

'I never claimed to have the Sight, it was a lucky guess.'

'Is that not what Divination is?  Lucky guesses?'

'Are you going to help me practise my readings or not?'

Ursa leaned back against the bed, folding her arms behind her head. 

'Well, go on then; astound me with your powers of foresight,' she said lazily.

Sirius ignored her mocking attitude and turned over the second card.  _Judgement, _reversed.

'Aha, conflicting points of view.  See, the dragon has three heads all looking in different directions, so each of them has a different perspective.  That ties in with the _Seven of Cups_ rather well if people's opinions are confusing you.'

Ursa chewed her lip thoughtfully.

'Go on,' she said slowly.

'The unexpected influences is … _Five of Swords_.' Sirius revealed the third card; a picture of a dark blue dragon entwined round the blade of a long sword, hanging suspended between two smaller dragons and the other four swords.

Sirius frowned.

'That doesn't look good …'

'What's it mean?'

'It usually means a parting and not on pleasant terms.  An argument or something.'

'Sounds like Mum and Dad splitting up,' said Ursa softly, her eyes lingering on the card.

'Well, you never know; maybe this reflects a future event and it's Mum and Richard who'll split up.'  Sirius clasped his hands together as though praying, his pleading gaze fixed on the ceiling.  Ursa gave a small laugh.

'Don't, Siri.  That's not very nice.'  She looked down at the remaining cards.  'What's next?'

'Suggested action; what you could do about the current situation.'  

The fourth card turned out to be the _Eight of Cups_.  The eight sparkling goblets hung over a hilly landscape, a river flowing down the middle with a dark blue dragon floating high above it in the darkened sky.

'Um … I think this one means something about a deeper meaning … that there's more to it than what's on the surface.'

'So, what do I do?'

'Don't take things at face value, I suppose.  There's another reason behind the recent events although it's not always clear as to what that might be.'

Ursa thought hard for a moment, looking rather confused.

'What's the last one then?'

Sirius turned over the seventh and final card – the possible outcome.

Ursa's face fell as she saw it.

'Oh, great,' she grumbled unenthusiastically.

The card portrayed a derelict tower perched on a barren rock, crumbling into the stormy ocean surrounding it.  A red dragon was coiled around the gloomy structure as flames ran up the stonework from its body.  Bolts of lightning tore the dark sky above the tower.

'Does that mean that everything's just going to fall apart?' asked Ursa, peering at it.  'Siri?'

Sirius didn't answer straight away.

'It's not a good card to get,' he said slowly.  

Ursa huffed.  

'What?  No tall, dark handsome stranger?  I think I've been cheated.' She grinned at the mildly offended look on her brother's face.

'I'll have you know that I fit that description very well,' he said.  'Expect maybe the 'stranger' bit.'

'Why not?  You're stranger than anyone I know.'

Sirius laughed, crossing his eyes and sticking out his tongue.  Ursa giggled.  'Oh, vast improvement there!'

She looked back down at the Tarot spread.

'Do you always have to use a lot of cards?'

'Not necessarily, you could do a Touchstone spread which is just a single card reading.'

Sirius shuffled the deck for a minute and withdrew one card at random.  'This'll be my Touchstone card for the day,' he said, flipping it over and dropped it to the floor.  The image stared up at him.

A formidable red dragon sat upon a throne, a ram's skull over his head.  Two barren trees framed the picture, the background a deep fiery red.  The dragon peered up at Sirius through narrowed eyes, clutching an orange sphere and slender arrow in its clawed hand.

_The Emperor,_ reversed.

The meaning flashed through Sirius' mind.  _The Emperor_ depicted a dominating personality, a tyrant who could easily force his ideals on others.  A symbol of corrupted power.

Ursa had just opened her mouth to inquire as to the cards' meaning, when the handle of the bedroom door turned.  Sirius and Ursa jerked their heads up as Richard stepped into the room.

_That does it; I'm getting a lock for my door,_ Sirius thought angrily.  'Hey, did you _ever _hear of knocking?' he said out loud, irked by the second invasion of his privacy. 

But Richard didn't seem to have heard him say a word. His cold eyes were wide and his pupils contracted as they swept around the room.

It suddenly dawned on Sirius what Richard was goggling at.  

He and Ursa was both sitting crossed legged on the floor with a spread of Tarot cards between them and a number of Sirius' school books were in plain sight on his bed, including '_Unfogging the Future', 'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi'_ and _'Curses and Hexes of the Dark Arts'.  _On the desk was a pewter cauldron containing several inkbottles and quills.  Cosmic was sunning himself on top of Sirius' school trunk, which, thankfully, was closed, otherwise Richard would have got an eyeful of black robes and a broomstick.

Richard had gone very pale, mouthing like a fish out of water.

Sirius felt his stomach clench, exchanging a nervous look with Ursa.  The look on Ursa's face stated quite clearly, _'You are going to be in _so_ much trouble when Mum finds out.'_

Sirius cringed as Richard's voice returned, shaking with a mixture of anger and fear.

'What the Devil is going on here?' he roared, eyes bulging.  'Devil worship!  That's what this is!  Ursa, get away from him this instant!'  Richard beckoned to her frantically.  Ursa looked frankly bewildered, unsure if she should do as she was told or burst out laughing at his foolish presumption.

There was a pounding of feet outside the door and Andromeda came in.  She took one look around the room, taking in the obvious implications of magic, from the parchment and quills, to the books and Tarot cards with Ursa and Sirius sitting in the middle of it all, and finally over to Richard's horrified expression.  Her face drained of colour.  She, too, was rendered temporarily speechless, but for a different reason.

'What is going on, Sirius?' she asked, making every effort to keep her voice steady, though her eyes were narrowed and there was a dangerous edge to her voice that Sirius had never heard there before.

'Is it not obvious?'  Richard growled, waving a hand at the contents of the room.  'The boy is part of some evil cult!  Look at this – books of magic – these cards – and that black cat!  I suppose that's why you have it?  A familiar to aid you in your _spell casting?_  Putting curses and whatnot on innocent people?  Fun to dabble in the Black Arts, is it?'

He strode across the room, seized Ursa's arm and pulled her up and away from Sirius.

'I will not have you corrupting your little sister with your foul delusions of _magic _and _mystic power_.'

Richard was so mad he seemed beyond reason.  Hopes of being given a chance to explain that practising a form of divination had nothing to do with devils or satanic cults were quickly dashed.  Ursa pulled away from Richard and went straight to her mother.  Andromeda made no effort to stop Richard; she looked just as angry.  Sirius felt a horrible thrill of foreboding, wondering if Richard was about to suggest burning him at the stake or some other medieval punishment.

'It's absolutely disgraceful,' Richard spat, his eyes flashing ominously in Sirius' direction.  'Though I can't say that I'm surprised.  No discipline whatsoever.  Why, in my day, such notions of rebellion were unheard of.'

Andromeda took hold of Richard's arm and said soothingly, 'Richard, dear, please calm down.  There's no need to get so worked up.'

Richard stared at her as though he thought her mad.

_'No need?' _he repeated incredulously.  'I do believe the fact that your son has got himself mixed up in all this occult nonsense is considerably worthy of punishment.  He needs to be taught a lesson.'

Sirius' heart was pounding harder and faster against his chest.  He scrambled to his feet, and, for once, was at a loss for words.  He looked to his mother hopefully but she paid him no heed.

'I know, Richard, I know.  And as his mother, it's my responsibility.  I'll see to it that they're both punished.'

Ursa blinked and stared uncomprehendingly at their mother.  Andromeda gave her children a fierce glare, two angry blotches of red in her cheeks.

'I would not have believed it of either of you,' she hissed furiously.  'You can both pack up these accursed things – I'll get rid of them.'

Sirius and Ursa stared, open mouthed in horror.

'Ursa, go to your room and fetch anything you have to do with this – _now_.'

Ursa quickly left, skirting round Richard and out the door.  Breathing heavily, Andromeda turned to Richard.

'I'll see you soon, Richard.'

Richard nodded curtly.

'Yes of course.  I trust you'll deal with them appropriately.'  He shot Sirius a nasty smile over Andromeda's shoulder as he left.

Sirius and Andromeda stood in silence, listening to Richard's footsteps receding down the stairs.  When the front door slammed, Sirius knew better than to breathe a sigh of relief.

'Mum, I – '

'I don't want to hear it, Sirius,' she snapped.  'I meant what I said.  Pack up _all_ your school things and bring them downstairs – quickly.  I don't want to see a single quill left in this room by the time I get back, you hear me?'

She spun on her heel, marched out of the room and slammed the door.

A ringing silence fell.

Sirius stood stunned for several minutes.  Then, slowly, he knelt on the floor to gather up the cards.  His hand brushed over the Emperor card. The sly grin of the dragon laughed mockingly up at him.  Sirius stared at it blankly for a moment, and then shoved it back into the deck.

*

An hour later, everything that had even a vague connection with magic and Hogwarts was crammed into Sirius' trunk.  He'd just locked it when Andromeda returned.  Her mood had not improved in the slightest.  She held out her hand.  Sullenly, Sirius dropped the key to the trunk into her open palm.

'Downstairs,' was all she said, sternly, going next door to Ursa's room, no doubt to do the same.

Grabbing the handle, Sirius dragged the heavy trunk out of his room and down the stairs; it thudded loudly on every step, the harsh sound reverberating through the otherwise silent house.

Ursa's trunk followed a few minutes later.  Andromeda's face was nothing more than a stern mask; cold and unyielding.  Sirius and Ursa followed her silently to the laboratory.

Snatching up her wand from the worktop, she pointed it at the trunks.  They rose a few inches off the floor and drifted across the cold, flagstone floor to a shallow alcove, which Andromeda had emptied of her spare cauldrons.  The trunks stacked themselves up neatly one on top of the other, shoved up against the wall.  With a furious swish of her wand, an iron portcullis fell over the mouth of the alcove, clanging loudly as it struck the floor.  Chains criss-crossed over and through the holes and a large, silver padlock snapped through the cold, heavy links. 

Andromeda, still glowering, turned to Sirius and Ursa.  The two of them had made not a single protest during this procedure.  They didn't look at each other, eyes downcast and fixed on the potion-spotted and sticky floor beneath their feet.

'I'm at a loss for words, I really am,' said Andromeda coldly.  'I've told you both again and again that Muggles are _not_ to know of the existence of magic.  I trusted you two to be intelligent enough to understand the implications and the dangers!'  She folded her arms.  'Clearly, I was mistaken.  I have _never_ been so disappointed.'

Sirius kept his eyes on the floor, a sick churning in his stomach.  Ursa was blinking furiously, on the brink of tears.

'From now on, if either of you have homework to do for school, you must come to me.  You will stay down here while you do it so I can keep an eye on you.  Nothing, I repeat, _nothing_ leaves this lab between now and September 1st – do I make myself clear?'

Sirius and Ursa nodded meekly, murmuring understanding.

'Good.  Now get back upstairs.  You're both confined to your rooms for the rest of the day.  And don't think that'll be the end of it.  Tomorrow, I want both of you down here before eight; the lab is in need of a thorough clean, top to bottom.  Now, get out of my sight.'

They did as they were told.

*

Staring almost unseeingly about his room, Sirius quietly closed the door.  His heart sank a littler lower in dismay.  The room looked so bland, so barren, like everything that made it his was gone.  It might as well have belonged to a stranger.

Only Cosmic remained.  The black cat was half hidden under the empty desk, behind the waste bin.  Poking his head out, he blinked his great green eyes up at Sirius anxiously, taking a tentative step forward.

Sirius crossed the room to lie down on the bed, his head on the pillows, staring blankly at the wall.

Cosmic padded silently across the carpet and sprang up onto the bed.  Moving up to the head of the bed, Cosmic mewed softly.  Sirius didn't move.  Cosmic patted his shoulder with a dainty paw, determined to get a response.

When he got none, Cosmic turned, leapt over Sirius' back and up onto the windowsill.  Squeezing through the open window, he stepped out onto the slanted roof tiles and trotted over to the next window.  Perching on the windowsill, he mewed loudly and batted the glass pane.

Ursa looked up from the cuddly panda she'd been staring at.  She got up off her bed and went to the window.  Her hand on the latch, she hesitated.  Cosmic blinked at her, his tail swishing impatiently.

Abruptly, Ursa removed her hand from the latch and twitched the curtains shut instead.

Cosmic waited, staring hopefully at the dark material.  When nothing happened, the cat turned, walked down the sloping roof to the gutter pipes.  The cat dropped lightly to the ground below, looked back over his shoulder once more, then walked away.

*

A loud screechy wail cut harshly through the night, jerking Sirius awake.  He gazed blearily about him, uncomprehending.  The yowling was nearby.  Groaning, Sirius lifted his pillow, put it over his head and rolled over, trying to block out the noise, willing it to go away.

It didn't.

Sighing, Sirius sleepily sat up, rubbing his eyes.  The clock on the bedside table read half past two in the morning.  Wonderful.

Muttering darkly about strangling whatever was making the racket, Sirius ripped back the curtains.  The dark garden below was still, lit softly by the light of the half moon above and the distant pinpricks of the stars.

And there, perched on the edge of the gutter, was Cosmic, screeching incessantly, eyes glinting in the darkness.  Sirius pushed the window up, stuck his head out and hissed, 'Cosmic, shut up!  You'll wake the whole neighbourhood!'

The cat continued to yowl, moving along the gutter away from Sirius.

'Cosmic, knock it off!'

Again the cat ignored him.

There was a faint clatter at the next window.  A light came on, shining through the curtains before they were ripped apart.  Ursa looked half-awake, her long black hair in a tangle, flattened on one side.  She slid her window open.

'If that's anything but a banshee, I'm gonna throttle it,' she muttered darkly, peering about, looking for the source of the cries.  She spotted Cosmic.

'Stupid cat – shut up, I'm trying to sleep!  _Shoo!' _She waved her hands at the cat.

Cosmic stopped yowling in an instant, but instead of leaving, trotted back up towards Sirius.  Ursa turned to see her brother leaning out of his window.

'Can't you keep that cat of yours under control?' she whispered grumpily.  'Stupid animal.'

'Oh, don't you start.  It's not my fault Cosmic thinks he can sing.'

Sirius reached out and scooped up his pet, cradling the little animal in his arms.

'I wouldn't mind but it's the middle of the night,' Ursa hissed pointedly.  'Most normal people are trying to get some sleep at two in the morning.' 

'Hey, I was asleep as well … I'm normal too, you know.'

'Not according to Richard, you're not,' said Ursa.

'Like he's a model for the average family man; perfectly sane and open minded,' said Sirius irritably. 'Git.'

They fell silent for a few moments.  Then Ursa said, tentatively, 'D'you think Mum's still mad at us?'

Sirius shrugged.

'Dunno.  Never seen her that mad before.'

Another pause.  Then:

'Do you think Mum and Richard will break up?'

'We can only hope.' Sirius stroked Cosmic's sleek fur.  'He _is_ a Muggle.  You heard what he thinks of magic.  Even if he and Mum fall madly in love,' his face contorted with disgust,  'he'll never accept us for what we are.  It'll never work unless Mum gives up all association with magic.'

Ursa's eyes widened.

'But – but she wouldn't do that!  Would she?'

'Not a chance,' said Sirius savagely.  'You can't deny what you are.  Sooner or later you have to reveal your true identity.  Magic isn't something you can just forget about, pretend it never existed; it's who and what we are.' 

'But what if Richard stays?' Ursa asked softly.

'He won't.'  Sirius looked up at the stars.  'Look up there.  What do you see?'

Ursa gave him an odd look, sighed, and then looked up at the sky.

'Sky.  The moon.  Bunch of stars.'

Sirius shot her a sidelong look.

'They're more than a 'bunch of stars' Ursa, you know that.  You see that constellation over there?' He pointed to a cluster of stars.  'Which one's that?'

'The Little Bear,' said Ursa, grinning.  'Ursa Minor.'

'What about that one?'

'Andromeda. That's Mum.'

'And that one over there?'

'Dad; Orion.'  Ursa pointed to another group of stars close to the Hunter constellation.  'There's you!'

'Right; brightest star in the sky.'

Ursa snorted.

'Can't say the same down here.'

'Hey, cheeky,' Sirius laughed good-naturedly.  'Can you see any star or constellation named Richard?'

Ursa frowned and shook her head.

'No.'

'So you see?'

'See what?'

'That Richard doesn't _belong_ with us.  He doesn't fit in.  We're magic, he isn't.  And he's too much of a narrow-minded bigot to consider that his prejudice medieval ideals _may _be wrong.'

Cosmic mewed softly in an agreeable tone.

'Hey, don't go starting that again,' said Ursa.  'One rendition was quite enough, thank you.'

'Yeah, you're a pain, aren't you?' Sirius told the cat.  But Cosmic simply lay purring in his arms, seemingly very smug, closing his eyes blissfully as Sirius rubbed his belly.

'Fine; disturb our sleep then catch a few winks yourself,' Sirius muttered.  'Guess we'd better go back to sleep.'

'Yeah,' Ursa withdrew from the window.  'G'night Siri.'

'Night.'

Sirius closed the window and lay back down, Cosmic settling himself beside him, still purring with content.  For some time Sirius lay awake, gazing through the window at the stars.

It was for the best really.  The sooner Richard knew the truth about what they were, the sooner he'd leave.  And good riddance to him.

Sighing wistfully, Sirius' eyes slowly drooped and he fell into a restless sleep once more.

*****

**To Be Continued**

*

**Please review.  All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.**

*****

**Author's Notes.**

**Pixie12 – **Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed some of my other fics.  And it is annoying but the chapter doesn't show up immediately.  I posted the chapter at half six, checked back two hours later and the chapter 'didn't exist'; it did show up by midnight but I will be making the effort to try and post a bit earlier in the day.

**NightSpear – **It took a while to figure out how to best describe the moves – it's so much easier to watch someone demonstrate it than to write them down!  I mean, I know what I'm talking about but for someone who may never have seen them, it's bloody hard to describe. ^_^

Well, Sirius, being a sixteen-year-old guy, in my opinion, would not be the type of person to go running to his friends with every problem he encounters.  I think he'd be more inclined to try and deal with it alone, at least to begin with.  Richard is being a narrow-minded bigot, as you've just seen.  I wrote this bit thinking about the Christian groups who want to ban the Harry Potter books because of 'witchcraft' and 'devil worship'.  Misguided idiots. 

**Squintz – **Thank you! I've had the idea of Remus having some knowledge of Muggle self-defence for a while; I'm thinking of incorporating it into another fic based on him and his life before he goes to Hogwarts.

**Christy – **I had the same idea really.  Remus just fits it somehow, and I don't see him as one to abuse his knowledge of how to fight, but to use it for good.  ^_^  As for pushing Sirius for an explanation, you've hit it right on the head.  James, he doesn't strike me as too perceptive so yes, for now he's in the dark about this.

Will they find out?  Have to wait and see.  Dangerous?  Hhm, I guess they'd both be pretty dangerous in their own ways! ^_^

**MorganD – **LOL!  Whoops!  Slip of the fingers more like – I can't touch-type quickly and spell accurately at the same time!  As for sensei, I could have sworn it was spelt with an 'a'.  My spell checker accepted it, silly thing.  

I don't see Sirius as being incapable of asking for help, just determined to at least try to deal with things on his own initially – it doesn't mean that he won't ask for help if he really needs it.  As for the martial arts (being careful with the spelling here!) it takes a lot of practise to be able to use them effectively, and considering that Sirius has only had one lesson, there's no realistic way that he could do much at the moment.  I'm not going to have him performing flawless roundhouse kicks and throws in later chapters, I can't quite do them properly and I've studied it for a year already!  Trying to stay on the realistic side here.

It's a shame that there are thugs out there who only learn the arts with the intention of hurting others, unfortunately there's always going to be people out there who have no respect for others.  It was bands of thieves that gave Ju Jitsu a poor reputation in ancient Japan, which is what led to the development of Karate and Judo in an effort to escape the banditry reputation.  Ju Jitsu is slowly regaining popularity and I chose it for self-defence rather than the sport element that seems to be the focus of Karate and Judo.

**WallyTheWhale – **Ah, when someone refers to 'strong' language or vocabulary we generally take it to mean swearing or being rude.  By all means direct it at Richard!

True, it does fit Remus' character not to pressure his friend, but it is hard to decide how much you can push someone to talk about something they may not want to discuss, without risking having them refuse to discuss it, resulting in the 'it's none of your business' scenario, which can drive friends apart and you definitely don't want that happening.  (Was that even a sentence?  Did it make sense?  You've got me at it now.)  Remus is basically leaving it open for Sirius to decide whether or not he wants to talk about it, and by simply letting Sirius know that his friends are there if he needs them, it's not a hard push but it sends a message all the same.

Well, Sirius can _try_ to use martial arts but they do take practise, so don't expect a major battle whereby Sirius kicks Richard across the room.  You may want to see that, but it's not feasible I'm afraid.

The fic is twenty chapters long in total.  So we're nearly halfway through. The Marauders do pull another prank later on in the fic but it won't be on the moor this time. 

To be honest, if there were a crazy person in the house, I'd want to run!  'He who fights and runs away, is wasting valuable running time with all that fighting!'  Can't remember where I read that. ^_^  But it's true; better to avoid a fight whenever possible.  Still, screaming works too – either deafen them or attract a neighbour's attention. 

Your Remus sentence made perfect sense. ^_^  He's my absolute favourite of all the characters.  If I ever get my sequel to Tell No Lies and Take It Back done, I'll be starting a Remus fic next.  I've already worked out how he came to study martial arts and focus on some other stuff that happens to him before he starts going to Hogwarts.


	10. A Chance to Heal

**Chapter Ten; A Chance to Heal**

It was clear at a glance that Andromeda's mood had not improved in the slightest by the following morning.  Breakfast was silent, no one wanting to speak first; no one having any idea what to say.

Shortly after their bowls were empty, Andromeda led them into the laboratory, shutting down the protective fortifications as she went, stomping down the stone staircase and into the large open chamber below, lit by flaming torches.

Along one side was the main worktop, strewn with huge piles of notes, calculations and drafted formulas.  A crate of unused glass vials lay open in front of it.  A pile of dirty cauldrons lay against the wall beside the alcove where their trunks were locked.

Andromeda twirled her wand, conjuring two buckets of soapy water, a mop, a broom, a dustpan and brush, some dust cloths and scrubbing brushes.

'You can both make a start on those cauldrons,' she said coldly, without looking at either of them.  'I want to be able to see my face in them when you're finished.'

And she sat down at her desk, picked up a stack of parchment, put on her glasses and started reading, her back to her sullen children as they silently set to work.

The only sound for a long time was the harsh scrubbing of the bottom of the cauldrons and the scratching of a quill.  It seemed to take forever to remove all the stains and crusty residues from the cauldrons.  By the time Sirius had dried off his fourth one, his arm muscles were aching.  Ursa was glumly scrubbing her third, casting anxious glances across the room.  Sirius, not daring to turn around, watched the reflection in the clean cauldrons.

Andromeda had risen from the workbench at last and was conjuring a crackling fire beneath the huge cauldron in the centre of the lab.  It filled with a murky sort of liquid while Andromeda rifled through the shelves lining the walls, pulling down a multitude of jars, tins, packets and bottles. A sheet of parchment hovered in the air beside her, a crimson quill ticking off the components on it as she found them.

Returning to the cauldron, she began to meticulously measure out each ingredient, slowly adding them to the cauldron, muttering non-stop under her breath as the quill skated over a fresh roll of parchment.

Two hours later, Sirius and Ursa had finished the remaining cauldrons and were now cleaning out the store cupboards while Andromeda tended to a spicy-scented, ginger potion, stirring delicately.

Leaning right inside the cupboard, sweeping out the cobwebs, Sirius banged his head as a violent hissing rang out through the lab.  His mother swore loudly.  Sirius backed out of the cupboard to see her throw up her hands in exasperation and disappointment.  She slumped into her chair, elbows on her knees, her face buried in her hands.  Shaking slightly, she gave a dry sob.

Ursa and Sirius exchanged a look.  

'Mum?'  Sirius hesitantly went over to her, hoping she wasn't about to snap at him again.

'Stupid – ' Andromeda muttered angrily.  She snatched the floating parchment out of the air, screwed it up and threw it hard.  It fell short of its target, landing on the sticky floor, two feet to the left of the empty bin.

Groaning, Andromeda slumped in her chair, staring darkly at the hissing potion, now a sickly yellow with a shine of green on the surface.

Taking a deep breath, Sirius quietly asked, 'Can I help?'

Looking sharply round at him, she continued to scowl.  Sirius backed off.  He was just about to go to back to the cupboard when she sighed and said listlessly, 'You can get rid of that stuff,' she nodded at the cauldron, 'and fetch me another cauldron.'

Nodding, Sirius tilted the cauldron over, pouring the foul smelling potion through the grate in the floor.  The potion drained away, gurgling as it ran away down the pipes.  Removing the bulky cauldron from its stand, Sirius dragged it into a corner, grabbed one of the freshly cleaned ones and brought it back over.  He set it up on the stand, watching his mother scribbling out a new list of ingredients, brow furrowed.  She looked very tried and stressed, like she hadn't had much sleep.

It always amazed Sirius that she kept going even when met by repeated failure.  Certainly the disappointment must get to her, yet she refused to admit defeat.  A few years ago, she had practically lived in the lab for over a fortnight, working tirelessly on a potion.  When she'd finally emerged she'd been so happy, so proud of herself for finally succeeding.  Sirius hadn't needed to understand medical jargon to be proud of her.  

Then it struck Sirius that he'd never known what the potion had been; what it did.  Had he ever asked?  He couldn't remember.  She worked so hard but he never knew what she was working on; not really.

While Andromeda returned to the shelves, searching for more ingredients, Sirius went over to her desk and looked down at the notes.  As expected, there were a great many long words and strange terms that Sirius could only guess the meanings of, but as he read the short passages that he could make sense of, an incredible suspicion dawned on him.

Andromeda turned back to the cauldron, stopping dead as she saw Sirius reading her notes.

'Sirius, put that down, please,' she said shortly, setting several jars down on the desk.

Sirius looked up, slowly moving to return the parchment, but he hesitated.

'Mum, what exactly are you working on?'

Andromeda gave him an exasperated look.

'Sirius, I've been working on this formula for almost a year and you've never once asked about it.  Why the sudden interest?  I thought you didn't like potions.'

'It's not that … it's just …' he gestured to the notes,  'I didn't know you were discovering a cure for something.'

'_Trying_ to discover a cure,' she corrected him.  'Finding the correct formula is very difficult … and frustrating.'  She picked up her parchment and scribbled something else on it.  'Potion brewing requires a lot of patience, so I guess it shouldn't be a surprise to me that you've never been interested, being as impatient as you are.'

Slightly hurt, Sirius was nevertheless determined.

'Can I help?' he asked, indicating the potion ingredients.

Andromeda stared at him for a moment.

'You may help if you wish,' she said, finally.  'I need some essence of starfish and some powdered unicorn horn.'

Smiling for the first time all day, Sirius did as she asked.

*

Potion brewing was a lot harder than it appeared to be.  If one ingredient was added at the wrong time, if there was too much or not enough, the end result would be useless.  A moment's carelessness could ruin hours of careful and meticulous brewing, leaving no option but to start over.

Slowly, the collaboration of weird and wonderful components progressed to a shimmering, royal blue potion that smelled strongly of oceans and seaweed after Andromeda added a cup full of grated starfish.

Sirius stirred it steadily.  Ursa sat perched on a stool, neatly writing out labels for the glass vials standing in neat rows on the desk.

'Starfish have very strong natural regenerative powers,' explained Andromeda, adding another cupful,  'so they form a vital part of our research.'

'What does regenerative mean?' asked Ursa, pronouncing the word slowly.

'It means to be able to re-grow,' said Sirius promptly.  'If a starfish loses a limb it can grow another.'

'That's clever,' said Ursa.

'It is, and since it occurs so naturally it is a reasonably safe component to work with.  Plus it's a great deal easier than creating something from scratch to do the same thing,' said Andromeda, now measuring how much silvery unicorn horn powder was required.

'So what exactly are you trying to find a cure for?' said Sirius, glancing at the mountain of notes and files littering the desk and shelves.

Andromeda smiled.

'Ah, now that is a very good question.  Come here and I'll show you.'

Intrigued, Sirius and Ursa followed her to the back of the lab to another, smaller worktop.  She drew her wand.

'I need a few drops of blood.  Sirius?'

Sirius held out his hand.  Andromeda touched the tip of his finger with her wand.  He felt a slight pinch, then she removed her wand and placed the tip into a shallow dish, leaving a line of several drops of blood.

'What I'm going to do is contaminate each of these with a different virus, disease or infection.'

Taking several test tubes from a cupboard over their heads, each of them containing a tiny amount of liquid, Andromeda added a single droplet from each into the dish, overlapping the blood.

A large bubble materialised over the dish, magnifying the contents so that they could see what was happening.

Each drop of blood was reacting to the foreign substance as it was attacked.  The white blood cells put up a fight but were quickly overpowered.  The diseases had taken hold.

Andromeda now reached into her work robes, taking out a vial of silvery white potion.

'This is one of the few potions that the team and I have managed to procure.  It's a potent restorative elixir, although the long term effects are dubious at best.'  

As she spoke, she filled a dropper with the mixture and squeezed a tiny droplet into the dish onto the first blood drop.  Watching the magnifying bubble, they saw the restorative mix with the infection.  For a few seconds nothing happened.  Then –

A faint light began to emanate from the blood.  White blood cells were visibly multiplying at an accelerated rate.

'White blood cells form a very important part of the immune system; they are what fight off the nasty infections the body catches.  If we didn't have enough or none at all, a very mild cold would have a devastating affect on the body, even kill it if left untreated.'

'So you're trying to make more of these cells?' asked Sirius, watching the newly grown cells gathering at the edge of the infected blood cells.

'Well, that was the original idea.  But then we realised that it would be easier to treat the diseased cells if they were in the early stages of contamination, before the disease can get a good hold.'

'Meaning?'

'We're trying to figure out a way to reverse the growth of the diseased cells, returning them to their earliest and treated stages.  It's best to start treatment as early as possible because you'll have a much better chance of recovery.'

'So, you're creating a potion that could be used to cure … _anything?'_  Sirius stared at his mother in astonishment.

'In theory it works; in practise the exact formula is proving to be extremely elusive.  A year down the line and this is as far as we've got.'

Andromeda put a drop of yet another potion, the same as the ginger spicy-smelling potion she'd created earlier, onto the rest of the blood samples.

The reaction was instantaneous.

The dark, diseased blood cells were changing, becoming lighter in colour, clearly healthy.  The disease was being rendered useless, harmless.

The blood appeared to have returned to its original state when the potion abruptly dissolved and disappeared.  As a result, the diseased cells, what few that remained, started to multiply once more.

'It works perfectly for a _very_ short period of time, but then it just peters out before it can eradicate all the diseased cells to a harmless stage, then it returns as strong as ever.'

Andromeda looked very disappointed but quickly forced a smile.

'Still, it's progress.  We'll get there.  It's a matter of stabilising the cellular structure and stimulating the re-growth of healthy cells within the body; so if the body is given an extra boost of immunity, if you will, then the potion has a better chance of ridding it of the disease.

Awed by the possibilities of a successful formula, Sirius eagerly turned back to the shimmering cauldron.

'Maybe you'll get it this time.  We'll help.'

'Oh, no, you don't. I've trusted you this far because I've done this part hundreds of times before.  I'll not have anyone near this potion.'

'But Mum, I know what's next,' said Sirius, confidently reaching for a tiny crystal bottle.  He paused for a second, looking at it curiously.  'What _is _this stuff anyway?'

'Something you _never_ mess around with,' said Andromeda, snatching it out of his hand.  'Phoenix tears – one of the most powerful of healing substances that exist.'  She returned it to the topmost shelf.

Ursa frowned in confusion.

'Mum?  If phoenix tears are really powerful, why don't we use them to heal everything?'

Andromeda sighed and sat down to explain.

'Well, the thing is, only freshly shed tears can be used and a phoenix will only cry for those it feels needs a particularly strong form of healing.  It won't cry for a broken bone, for example, simply because that can heal by itself, eventually.  The body can fight off infections by itself for most of the time; Muggles and wizards use medicines to speed up the process.  Now, a fatal wound is more the sort of injury that we'd use phoenix tears on.  Unfortunately, the biggest problem we have is that a phoenix rarely cries.  Can you image trying to stimulate a phoenix into shedding enough to be harvested for everyday use?'  Andromeda shook her head.  'It's not possible.  Anyway, it's really much too powerful.  That sample I've been allocated for my research is particularly concentrated.  Even a single drop more than necessary could cause such a powerful reaction that the effects would go too far.  I've used it only once and the result was a formula that worked _too_ well.  All the living cells, healthy or not, started to disappear.'

That caused a few raised eyebrows.

'Why did they disappear?' asked Ursa, puzzled.

'By reversing the age of the cells so much, they ceased to exist.  Just vanished.'

Andromeda stood up and went back to the bubbling potion.  

'If we can find a middle ground, a result halfway between the ones we've had so far, then we could very well produce a cure for just about anything and everything.'  She smiled serenely, picking up a long spoon and stirring the shimmering potion.  'That would be worth a million failed formulas.'

Sirius and Ursa set about reorganising the store of ingredients while their mother got back to work.  By the time they'd cleaned the entire laboratory, top to bottom, Sirius had reached a conclusion.  His mother worked so hard to achieve something that could bring happiness to so many people; did she not deserve some in return?  Okay, Richard was hardly the best man for her in Sirius' opinion, but right now she was happy with him.  If the relationship were to fail, then it would do so on their terms, not because of Sirius' foolishness.  No wonder she'd been so mad.  He'd nearly ruined what little private happiness she'd had since the divorce.

And yet, what if Richard started treating her the way he'd treated Sirius?

He couldn't let that happen, but he couldn't deliberately try to destroy their relationship.  It was very selfish and his mother would never forgive him for it.

When Sirius went to bed that night he still had no idea what to do, if anything.  It was too complicated.

Cosmic came up to sleep beside him, perhaps sensing his confusion.  But the cat was of little comfort this time, and it was a very long time before Sirius finally drifted off to sleep, plagued with nightmares of a shadowy apparition, condemning every move he made.

*****

**To Be Continued. **

*****

**Please review.  All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.  **

*****

**Author's Notes. **

**NightSpear – **Hee hee, glad you enjoyed it!  Quite fun to write, oddly enough.  It's not a pleasant subject, writing about a cruel tyrannical person who makes other people's lives hell, so I'm not sure why I enjoyed writing this so much!  Maybe I'm just weird.  ^_^   That explains just about most things about me.

**Orion-San - ***rolls eyes*  Men!  Oh, well, if you like fight scenes, stick around; there'll be more where that came from a little later.

**WallyTheWhale – **I try not to curse too often either.  If you're in a lot of pain, or just had a fright, been shocked, that kind of thing, then by all means let slip a word or two, it would be understandable.  What I don't like is hearing curses used in every other sentence in an almost causal manner; there's no need for it!  I've known people who couldn't speak more than two short sentences without swearing.  Don't they know any other words???  *shakes head in disbelief*

I get along fairly well with my siblings, so I thought; why shouldn't Sirius?  They do feel a need to stick together, but, just as in real life, there's no guarantee that they'll get along all the time.

I don't often read my Tarot cards out where people can see them, and my parents gave me my first deck as a birthday gift a few years back so no problems there.  To be honest I don't know if I'd be able to keep a straight face if someone accused me of devil worship; I'm sure I'd laugh.  It just strikes me as ridiculous.

Andromeda, not being too understanding from her kids point of view, but seeing Richard's bad reaction to magic pretty much slammed the door on the possibility of her telling him about being a witch so she's less than pleased with them.  Parents can be frustrating even when you can see it from their view point.  It doesn't help that (in my experience anyway) they tend to side with other adults rather then their children.  

Cosmic's a very clever cat.  He's a bit like Crookshanks in a way.  Notice how he got Sirius and Ursa talking?  It helps to talk about problems; okay maybe two in the morning is a terrible time to pick for a chat, but there was less chance of Richard or Andromeda overhearing.  And before you ask, their room is on the other side of the house, so they couldn't hear Cosmic's screeching and didn't wake up.

Hhhm, okay, yes you do see Sirius try a few moves out in a later chapter, but I'm not saying any more than that.

Nnooooo!  The Confusion spreads!  *looks around eagerly*  Now, who can I infect? *rubs hands gleefully*  Oh, Lily, where are you? *skips off in search of her Beta*

**Christy – **Richard's being an inconsiderate prat, but yes, I'm glad you've read the danger signs.  He is a dangerous character, as you will see over the next two chapters.  Things are going to hit a new low, but on the bright side, the Marauders return in the next chapter!

**Squintz1 – **Makes you wonder if Andromeda is ever going to tell him now, doesn't it?  I did think that maybe I'd over done her reaction a bit, but if you can understand her reason then I guess it wasn't too bad.  In this chapter, Sirius tries to understand it from his mother's point of view but it doesn't make it any easier for him to deal with.


	11. Tyrants and Rebels

**Chapter Eleven; Tyrants and Rebels. **

Following Richard's 'discovery' of Sirius' arcane interests, Sirius was finding it impossible to stay out of his way.  Richard was now round the house every day and he insisted on Sirius staying where he could be seen.  Richard seemed convinced that Sirius' rebellious streak could easily be curbed, never missing an opportunity to lecture him on the 'delusions of the teenaged mind' and his 'undesirable behaviour'.

Homework was no longer a viable excuse.  Andromeda was as good as her word; all Hogwarts related items remained in the lab under her watchful eye and there were no exceptions.

It didn't help matters that Andromeda agreed with whatever Richard said about what nonsense magic was.  Whenever Richard left the house she would assure Sirius that it wouldn't do any harm to go along with it for the time being.

Were it not for the sake of keeping his mother happy, Sirius went along with it only because it was easier than objecting.  It was hard to miss the pointed looks Richard threw at him behind his mother's back.  Richard had made it very clear that co-operation was better than the 'disciplinary action' he would be likely to execute.

The only time Sirius was permitted to leave the house was in the early hours of the morning when he could go over to his neighbour's house.

Mrs. Fennel had not objected to taking in the post for Sirius and was quite happy to have him over every day.

'Hello Sirius.' She smiled, opening the door.  'Come on in.'

Sirius followed her through to the kitchen.  It was decorated in pale blue and white.  It would have been a very nice kitchen were it not for the mess.  A mound of dirty dishes was stacked up beside the sink.  A scrubbing brush was already working on a dirty saucepan in the washing up bowl and a tea towel was animatedly drying off another pan.

'Sorry about the mess,' said Mrs. Fennel, absentmindedly brushing crumbs off the table.

'Anything arrive today?' Sirius asked hopefully.  He'd received nothing for over a week.

Mrs. Fennel smiled and opened the back door.  She leaned out, peering up into the boughs of the nearby trees.  Moments later, James' tawny owl swooped out from under the leaves and came flapping inside, closely followed by a barn owl.  Athena flew straight to Sirius, landed on his shoulder and held out her leg.  The barn owl perched on the back of the nearest chair, a parchment envelope in its beak.

Sirius tore the roll of paper from the tawny and unrolled it.  The Muggle paper instantly told him whom it was from.  His face lit up momentarily, but gradually faded as he read the letter through.

'Bad news?' asked Mrs. Fennel, watching him curiously.

'Probably,' said Sirius glumly.  He stuffed the letter in his pocket.

'I take it your mum is still angry with you?'

'Well, if it's a case of forgive and forget, we're not even halfway there yet.'

Mrs. Fennel nodded sadly.  She hadn't heard any specific details of what had happened, but obviously didn't want to pry.

The barn owl hooted impatiently, dropping its letter onto the table.  Sirius snatched up the envelope and read the address.

'It's for mum,' he said, turning it over.

'Then you'd best go and give it to her,' said Mrs. Fennel.  'Don't worry, she can't stay mad at you for ever.'

The day in the lab had only temporarily alleviated Andromeda's mood.  Richard's attitude towards her son was a constant reminder of his opinion of magic.

The owls fluttered away into the sunrise as Sirius stepped out the front door. About to cross the road, he froze.

Richard's horrible beige Volkswagen had just pulled into the driveway.

Sirius backed up, moving behind Mrs. Fennel's hedge.  Richard didn't seem to have noticed him.  He clambered out of the car, removed a bouquet of flowers from the passenger seat and knocked on the front door.

The door opened and Ursa stuck her head out.  Sirius couldn't hear what Richard was saying but Ursa nodded, turned and called for her mother.  Andromeda appeared a few moments later, her face lighting up joyfully as Richard presented her with the flowers.

Sirius waited until Richard had disappeared inside the house before stepping out of hiding and walking back across the road.  He went down the side of the house and let himself in by the back door.

Voices drifted in from the living room; Richard's sickening purr and Andromeda's fluttering laugh.  Sirius scowled darkly as he went into the hall.

In the living room, Andromeda and Richard sat together on the couch.  Andromeda couldn't stop admiring the beautiful flowers, breathing in the sweet fragrance.  Richard was looking particularly smug, his arm around her shoulders. 

'And that's not all,' he was saying, 'Tonight, you and I are going to spend a romantic evening in the Feng Huang – '

'The Feng Huang?' Andromeda repeated excitedly.  'B-but it's so expensive!'

'And exclusive,' Richard smiled, gazing into her eyes.  'One table reserved for two … an exotic four course meal … wine … music …'

Smiling blissfully, Andromeda leaned forward as Richard did the same –

'Ahem.'

Richard and Andromeda jerked round to see Sirius stroll casually into the room, his eyes determinedly fixed on the letters he held in his hand.  He glanced up briefly to toss one to his mother.

'Letter for you Mum,' he said unnecessarily, dropping into the armchair opposite.  Out of the corner of his eye he could see Richard's annoyed scowl.

Andromeda's face clouded over with concern, tearing open the envelope.  She quickly read the letter.

'Oh no …'

Sirius and Richard both looked up at her.

'Mum?'

'What is it?'

Andromeda stood up.  She suddenly seemed very distressed.

'I – I'm sorry Richard, I can't go out tonight.'

'Why ever not?'  There was an offended lilt to his voice.

'My colleagues need me back at the main laboratory,' she said hastily, gesturing to the letter in her hand.  'There's a – an emergency – they need me over there immediately.'

'What's happened?' asked Sirius.

Andromeda didn't answer; she was already out in the hall, pulling on her coat.  Richard followed her, his face etched with concern.

'Ann, what's happened?  Can I help at all?'

'No … no, Richard, it's alright.' She started muttering under her breath, searching for her house keys.  'Keys … change … the bus shouldn't take too long … oh no.'

She stopped, her eyes wide in sudden realisation.

'Ursa … Sirius … Richard, could you stay and keep an eye on them for me?  I really don't want to leave them on their own.'

'Certainly,' said Richard, smiling.

'Are you sure?  I could ask Irene Fennel if you'd rather – '

'It's no trouble at all,' said Richard soothingly.  'I'll stay and keep them company.  We'll be fine.'

They may have been comforting words to Andromeda, but Sirius did not like the sound of them at all.

'Mum,' he stepped round Richard quickly and stood in front of the door before his mother could bolt.  'Lily wrote – she's invited me over to her house.  Can I go, please?'

'It's 'may I', Sirius,' said Andromeda distractedly, buttoning up her coat.

'Okay, _may_ I go, please?' Sirius amended quickly.

Richard gave a great sniff of disapproval from behind them.

'Who is this girl?' he asked disdainfully.  'Where do you think you're gallivanting off to?  How old are you – fifteen?  Much too young for a girlfriend, if you ask me.'

Sirius glared.

'I _didn't_ ask you,' he snapped.  'And for your information, I am _sixteen_ and Lily is _not_ my girlfriend; she is a friend who is a girl, there's a big difference.' 

'Sirius, don't be so rude!' said Andromeda, shocked at his tone.  'Let me see that.'

Sullenly, Sirius handed her the letter.  Richard looked as though he were trying to read it over Andromeda's shoulder.  Sirius was only glad that Lily hadn't used parchment on which to write.  The pale peachy-coloured writing paper looked perfectly ordinary to a Muggle's eyes.

Andromeda looked up at Sirius.

'She wants you to come over today?'

Sirius nodded.

'Absolutely not,' Richard drew himself up tall, looking down his nose at the scowling teenager.  'The boy shouldn't be allowed out, what with all that 'magic' nonsense.  Is this young lady involved with it too?  I hardly think he's been punished enough for it; can't go letting him off lightly.  I wouldn't be surprised if he's trying to contact his _coven_,' Richard sneered contemptuously.  'Personally, I'd suggest that he be permanently confined to the house.'

Sirius was taking deep, calming breaths, counting in his head – anything to hold back his temper and keep from retorting.

Andromeda looked between them both. Sirius assumed a pleading gaze, fingers crossed behind his back_.  Please Mum, don't listen to him, just this once …_

Perhaps it was the fact that Sirius had already been stuck in the house for a week, or maybe it was his forlorn expression, but Andromeda didn't blindly agree with Richard.  Unfortunately –

'Sirius, this really isn't the time; I'm in a hurry.  I'd rather you stay here and keep an eye on your sister.'  She turned to Richard.  'I don't know how long this is going to take, but if you honestly don't mind staying with them -'

'It's no problem,' Richard said again.  'I'm quite capable of watching them both until you get back.'

'Oh, thank you, you're an absolute star.'

Sirius felt as though he'd been smacked in the face.  That was _his _name! How could his mother use it for Richard so flippantly? 

His mother kissed Richard quickly on the lips, bade them goodbye, asked Sirius to tell Ursa not to worry and to 'be good for Richard'.  In seconds she was out the door and marching quickly down the road, round the corner and out of sight.

Sirius and Richard stood in silence, facing each other across the hall.  Richard folded his arms across his chest.

'Now then … I trust that you are going to be on your best behaviour?' he said quietly, his voice low and dangerous.  'Might I suggest staying in your room?'

He might as well have added 'or else'.  Sirius didn't say a word.  He didn't trust himself to speak without asking for a lot of trouble that he didn't want.  Instead, he simply hurried back upstairs, slamming the door of his room.

If he was completely honest with himself, Sirius really did not feel safe with Richard around, despite being abruptly freed of Richard's constant supervision.  It felt more disconcerting than librating.  Sirius wanted more than anything to get out of the house.  It was starting to feel more like a prison than a home.

Sticking his head out of the window, Sirius squinted at the distant streets.  There was no sign of his mother.  She must have Apparated or caught the Knight bus.  Either way, she was gone.

Sirius sat down on his bed, mulling over her parting words.  _I'd rather you stay here.  _She hadn't said yes … but she hadn't said no either, and in Sirius' mind, if she hadn't _specifically_ told him that he couldn't go and see his friends, then there was nothing wrong with skipping out.

Richard on the other hand …

'Sod it.' Sirius grabbed his jacket and pulled it on.  Richard had no power over him; he wasn't his guardian or keeper.  Sirius was free to come and go as he pleased.  If he answered to anyone, it was his mother, not some arrogant Muggle.  

Sirius felt around under his mattress and pulled out a small moneybag.  Luckily, he'd forgotten all about this pouch when Andromeda had made him empty his room out.  He opened up the bag – three galleons, fourteen sickles and twenty knuts; more than enough.

Shoving it deep into his pocket, Sirius crept over to the door and pressed his ear against it.  He couldn't hear anything.

Gripping the handle firmly, Sirius slowly opened the door and stuck his head out.  No one there.  Closing the door quietly behind him, Sirius crept over to the stairs and peered down into the hallway.  All clear.

Eyeing the steps suspiciously, Sirius slowly lowered his foot onto the first step.  Surely some of these creaked?  Sirius hesitated, foot poised above the next step, straining his hearing.  Where had Richard disappeared to?

Easing his weight onto the step, Sirius cringed as the floorboard gave a sharp creak.  A movement downstairs – Sirius jerked his foot back and froze.

Richard was in the living room.  Judging by the shadow on the strip of carpet that Sirius could see, Richard was walking slowly around the room.

Curiously, Sirius leaned forward, holding the handrail tightly.

He could see Richard's polished shoes pace slowly to the front windows … pause … then, move to the far wall, just out of sight then back again.  Sirius moved back onto the landing, ducking out of sight as Richard stepped out into the hallway.  Richard was muttering under his breath but Sirius couldn't make out a word.  After a moment, he peered down into the hall.

As Richard walked slowly down the hall he ran a hand over the wallpaper, muttering to himself.  Scrutinising the paintings, he touched the frames, squinting at them before lifting the picture up to stare at the wall beneath it.  He lowered the frame back down, stepped back and folded his arms.

Sirius looked past him to the front door.  Richard didn't seem to be in any great hurry to leave the hall; he was standing there, stroking his chin thoughtfully, although his eyes were narrowed, staring about him like the décor was offending him.

Silently, Sirius eased himself backwards, away from the stairs.  He tiptoed back to his room and shut the door painstakingly slowly, praying that Richard hadn't heard anything.

He waited for a few moments just to be sure.  But there was no sound of footsteps upon the stairs.  

There was only one other option.

Sirius clambered onto his bed, slid open the window and hoisted himself up onto the sill.  Swinging his legs over, he carefully climbed out onto the roof.  The back garden below was visible from the kitchen.  Praying that Richard would stay in the hallway, Sirius slowed moved towards the guttering, turned round, eased himself backwards over the edge, and dropped to the ground with a heavy thud.

Falling backwards, Sirius rolled back onto his feet.  He immediately crouched, ducking beneath the window.  He hadn't seen anyone in the kitchen but that didn't mean there wasn't someone there.  

Crawling on his hands and knees, Sirius stayed close to the wall, making his way over to the bushes.  Once under the cover of the leafy foliage, Sirius cautiously peeked out at the kitchen windows, then up at the upstairs windows.  Nothing.

He waited, counting slowly to a hundred.  Still nothing.  Grinning victoriously, Sirius closed his eyes and concentrated.

When he opened his eyes, the world had turned a hazy shade of blue and grey.  Dogs did not have the best vision for colour, but it hardly mattered to Sirius.  The black coat of fur shrouded him within the shadow of the foliage.  His sharp hearing caught the sounds of a heavy person pacing inside the house, while his nose caught the man's scent.  Sirius gave a snort, not pleased with catching Richard's foul body odour.

Confident that he'd remained undetected, Sirius boldly walked out from under the bush and trotted around the side of the house, over the front lawn and round the corner.  Glancing back over his shoulder, Sirius wished he could have smiled smugly.  He settled for a gruff bark instead before breaking into a run, his four paws carrying him swiftly out of town.

*

The roads on the outskirts of Surrey were devoid of traffic; unusual for a warm sunny day in the middle of summer, but a perfect opportunity for the triple-decker Knight Bus to appear on the wrong side of the road with a deafening bang before skidding to a halt on the grass verge.

The doors slid open and Sirius leapt down the steps, thanking the driver as he left.  The doors closed smartly and the engine gave a roar as the huge bus swung in a wide arc, mounting the pavement on the other side and trundled back up the road, gathering speed as it vanished in the blink of an eye.

Sirius looked about him, carefully searching for any sign of an approaching car as he slowly backed up towards the hedgerow growing by the roadside.  The roads were silent and empty.  Just to be on the safe side, Sirius ducked under the foliage.

A few moments later, a large black dog came trotting out, heading purposely into Surrey.

*

The street where Lily lived was a nice looking place; lots of small houses with well-kept front gardens.  Slender saplings grew along the grass verges, shading the road.  Young Muggle children were happily riding their bikes up and down the road, others kicking a black and white ball to each other.

Some of the youngsters cast wary eyes over the large canine trotting along the pavement.  The dog paused at each of the driveways, looking briefly up at the house before moving onto the next one.  One of the children reached out his hand to pat the dog on the head as it passed, but the animal didn't stop to be petted.  It continued on its way, looking around, seemingly a little lost.

Sirius hadn't been to Lily's house for quite some time, and couldn't for the life of him recall which house number he was looking for.  

He paused in front of number fifteen's driveway, peering round the gate.  Dog vision wasn't any better than a human's, but the sense of smell was incredible.  One sniff of the gate was enough to inform Padfoot what creatures lived here, although it took a few moments for Sirius to comprehend it, conjuring a mental image from the scent information.  A dog lived here; a young male, approximately three years old and currently out the back of the house.  A distant grumbling bark confirmed this, warning the stranger off.  Sirius obediently moved on.  The Evans didn't own a dog.

At number seventeen, another scent caught Padfoot's attention, this one much more interesting, to Padfoot and Sirius.  A young female cat.  Sirius peered up at the windows and spotted a small brindle-coloured tabby lying on an upstairs window ledge.  

'Doggy?'

Sirius turned his head.  A little girl with long blond pigtails was toddling towards him, hand outstretched.  Before Sirius could think to move off, the child had reached up and stroked his head.

'Good doggy!' she declared loudly.

She didn't look older than five or six years old so Sirius stayed still, not wanting to accidentally bowl her over.  It surprised him that a small child would approach such a large animal.  Sirius lifted his head, looking around for a parent or maybe an older child, a babysitter perhaps, searching for their charge.  But there didn't seem to be anyone else other than the other children.  A few were pointing in his direction.  Another little girl came hurrying over, her dark hair up in a ponytail.

'Emma, is that yours?' she asked, gazing avidly at the great black dog.

The blonde girl shook her head.

'What's his name?' 

Both girls immediately looked for a collar but of course there wasn't one.  Sirius glanced back up at number seventeen.  But before he'd even taken a step up the path, the girls reached up and stroked his nose.  Rather taken aback by this, Sirius decided it was best to allow them to continue; they'd get bored in a minute and leave.  He stayed perfectly still, feeling their small hands running over his fur.  It felt nice to be stroked so gently, especially when Emma started to tickle him behind the ears.

'Doggy want a sweetie?' 

Emma dug a hand into the pocket of her dungarees and pulled out a crumpled bag of dolly mixture.  Sirius sniffed the bag eagerly, wagging his tail.  He'd skipped breakfast that morning in his haste to leave.  His stomach growled.

Delicately selecting a purple sweet, Emma held it up, smiling.

'Sit,' she said.

Not wanting to disappoint, Sirius sat.

Grinning, Emma then commanded, 'Down!'

Sirius lay down and gratefully swallowed the sweet whole as she tossed it to him.  Squealing delightedly, both girls rummaged in the bag for another sweet.

Sirius was starting to like this game.

Emma and her friend, who Sirius quickly figured out was named Jenny, were soon gathering a small crowd of the other children in the street as their new friend performed trick after trick.  It was childish but Sirius didn't mind in the least; he was enjoying himself and that was all that mattered.  The other kids started requesting tricks or asking to tempt Sirius with a sweet.

When the command came to 'play dead', Sirius dramatically collapsed to the ground, rolling onto his back, his paws in the air and tongue hanging out.  Lying there with his eyes closed, Sirius abruptly sensed someone approaching.  His eyes snapped open just as a large, dark-haired boy came striding up to the group.  Most of the kids hurriedly scampered away.  The boy's pudgy face scowled at Emma, who hadn't moved, clutching her sweets and blinking uncertainly up at him.

'Out of my way,' the boy barked, pushing past her.  Emma stumbled and dropped her bag.  The sweets fell out over the path, the teenaged boy purposely treading on them before he turned into the driveway of number seventeen.

Sirius was on his feet and let out a snarl.  But the teenager took no notice.  Emma looked teary-eyed and upset.  Jenny was looking scared.  Sirius' ears flattened to his head and he found himself emitting a louder, deeper growl.  Still the boy ignored him.

Sirius slunk after the boy, following him up the path.  The boy was wearing a pale coloured suit, rather odd attire for midsummer.  His dark hair was slicked back and he carried a small bouquet of flowers and … a large box of chocolates.

The boy stepped onto the doorstep and rang the doorbell, holding the flowers and chocolates behind his back.  Moving stealthily up behind him, Sirius paused for a moment as footsteps sounded from the other side of the door.  It opened and a high-pitched simpering voice came out, followed by its owner.  The lanky blonde that was Petunia Evans stepped into view and Sirius seized the opportunity.  Fast as lightning, he opened his jaw, plucked the fancy chocolates out of the fat boy's hands, turned, raised his leg and –__

_'Oi!'_

The boy spun round, his face purpling in an instant.  'Bring that back!' he bellowed, then looked down at his wet trouser leg.  'You filthy mutt!' he roared, shaking his fist at the black dog as it ran swiftly down the drive.

Sirius raced round the corner to where Emma and Jenny were giggling madly, having watched the entire episode by peering round the gate.  Tail wagging, Sirius held out the box of chocolates to them.  Faces splitting into huge smiles, the girls graciously took the box and both flung their arms around his neck, thanking him repeatedly. 

'Why, Padfoot, you old romantic you,' came a very amused voice from behind them.

_James!_

Sirius barked loudly and threw himself at his best friend, grinning like the very smug animal that he was.

James grinned back, looking over the hedge to where Petunia was fretting over the angry boy, leading him into the house, then back to the two little girls with their new chocolates.

'Tsk, tsk, you should know better than that, Padfoot.' He scowled mockingly.  'They're both a little young for you, don't you think?'

Sirius felt throwing his considerable weight against James' legs was an appropriate response.  James laughed and sat down heavily on the wall.

Emma stepped up to him, patting Sirius' head.

'This dog yours?' she asked eagerly.

James nodded.

'What's his name?'

'Padfoot.'

Jenny giggled.

'That's a funny name,' she said.  She held out the box of chocolates.  Sirius leaned over and pulled the ribbon off with his teeth.  Opening the lid, Jenny immediately chose the largest piece and held it out.  'Thank you, Padfoot,' she said, smiling.

Licking it out of her hand, Sirius swallowed it happily, wishing that dogs had the taste buds to appreciate fine chocolate.

James stood up.

'Come on, Padfoot, say goodbye to your little friends, we have to go now.'

The girls whined in protest but gave Sirius another grateful pat on the head before heading off.  James and Sirius walked back to number seventeen, and it was only then that Sirius spotted a laughing redhead at the upstairs window.  

Lily waved and called, 'That was brilliant!  Can you do that again?  I didn't have my camera ready!'  She laughed again.  'Come on, slowpokes, get your mischievous backsides up here!'

James looked down at Sirius.

'Well, you heard the lady, let's go.'

Barking happily, Sirius bounded up the path to the door, anticipating a very enjoyable day indeed.

*

**To Be Continued.**

*

**Please review.  All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.**

*

**Author's Notes.**

**TiniTinuviel – **Glad you're enjoying it so far!

**Christy – **I am trying to get a perspective from where Andromeda stands; she's happy with Richard but she can't see the danger that Sirius can see.  Plus it helps to put her in a positive light as a good person and to show that she isn't invulnerable to Richard's behaviour.  She may be very work-orientated and a bit love-struck, but she is human.  We all have our faults; although Richard obviously appears to have more faults than qualities.  

**WallyTheWhale – **Hhm, I really can't comment too much on your speculation; it really annoys me that I can't, especially when the comments are really interesting, but I'm scared of letting plot elements slip. Sorry, but I have to try and keep my mouth shut at times.  If I start commenting I can't stop, then before I know it, I've given too much away and spoilt the fic!  But I will say that chapter five has something that may confirm one of your comments - got to let you figure it out for yourself if nothing else!  

**NightSpear – **I'm pleased that people don't totally dislike Andromeda, like I said to Christy, she's human too, and we all have faults.  True, her blind spot is ridiculously huge when it comes to Richard but she's not a bad person.  Yep, she's pretty ambitious and very work focused.  Makes me wonder if she were better suited to Slytherin house, even though I feel she would have Sorted to Ravenclaw.  

**Lil Lupin – **Hi again!  Yeah, I'm pretty optimistic about this fic too.  I'd love to break the 200 barrier some day; maybe not with fic but perhaps with Part3, assuming it gets done of course. ^_^  Something that's forty chapters long should theoretically yield a good response!  'Tell No Lies' got so close I couldn't believe it; 193 is almost irritatingly close to the mark!  ^_^

**Semmel – **Apology accepted, but there's no need to apologise.  ^_^  Yes, I did post that chapter earlier than normal; I managed to escape from work early, raced home (wearing my stupid boots that was quite a feat!) and posted chapter ten at about six and it went straight up!  No 'chapter does not exist' message, it went up almost instantly.  Normally I've gotten home late and posted at about half six, then waiting hours for it show up.  Weird that half an hour makes such a difference.  I will be trying to get home early on a Friday but I can't guarantee that the chapter will go up straight away.  Your premonition is very accurate – chapter ten was something of a 'quiet interlude' but it wasn't there just for the sake of having another chapter. 

**Squintz1 – **Yay, you're still here!  Fantastic!  I was honestly straining my brain to remember my science lessons in the vain attempt to recall anything that might be of some use in this chapter.  Biology was more my area, so I include the immune system stuff for good measure.  ^_^  Aww, cute little kitten!  Wish I could have one, but I think Chandler, my guinea pig, would object..


	12. A Problem Shared

**Chapter Twelve; A Problem Shared. **

'So _that's_ Pet's new boyfriend?' asked James, closing Lily's bedroom door behind him.  'Where'd she find him? Local pig farm?'

Lily snorted with laughter.

'A pretty fancy pig farm apparently.  Pet says Vernon's got money.  I deduced from her pathetic simpering that he's going to take over his father's company when he retires.'

'Ooh, lucky guy,' Sirius drawled unenthusiastically.  'What's the company?'

Lily shrugged, sitting down on her bed.

'Not sure.  I think it's called Glummings … Glunnings … or something like that.'

'Gruntings?' Remus suggested, prompting another laugh.

'It wouldn't surprise me, Moony, it really wouldn't.  He came round for dinner the other day; his table manners are on par with a wild pig's!  No, to be fair to the pig, Vernon's are worse.  And he drones on and on – loudly.'

Indeed, Vernon's grumpy voice could be heard from downstairs in the kitchen still complaining about 'that ruddy beast' that had stolen Petunia's gift, while Pet and her mother were trying to clean up his trousers.

The Marauders were crowded into Lily's small bedroom; Lily, James and Sirius sitting on the bed, Peter on the desk chair and Remus perched on the windowsill, stroking Kali, Lily's tabby cat. 

'So, come on, what have you all been up to?' asked Lily eagerly.

'Not much,' said James.  'Went to my cousin's wedding; nothing exciting.'

'Oh really?' Lily raised an eyebrow, her pretty face suddenly etched with suspicion, eyes sweeping round the room at them all.  'So I take it none of you would happen to know anything about strange ghost hounds running amok on the Cornish moors?'

Sirius started whistling, apparently fascinated by the flowery curtains.  James assumed a mildly confused expression while Remus looked innocently curious.  Peter, however, began to fidget, grinning guiltily.

Lily produced a copy of the _Daily_ _Prophet_ from under her bed, the ghost hound article circled, and shoved it into James' face.

'Oh, _that_ ghost hound,' he said meekly from behind the paper.

Lily dumped it on his lap and folded her arms.

'_What_ were you all thinking?'

'And what, may I ask, makes you think it has anything to do with us?' protested Sirius.  'There could well be a wild ghost hound out there.'

'Apart from the fact that Remus lives by Bodmin Moor, this _ghost hound_,' Lily stared pointedly at Sirius,  'mysteriously appeared after a previous article regarding werewolf fears, then just as mysteriously, there was no trace of such a beast after that one night of attacks?'

'Yeah, apart from that,' quipped Sirius.

Remus chuckled at Lily's exasperated sigh.

'Face it guys, nothing gets past Lily.'

'That's because she's a highly suspicious little madam – I mean, _perceptive_ and er … extremely intelligent, and did I mention understanding?' Sirius smiled innocently back at Lily's sour expression.

'Sirius Black, flattery will get you nowhere.'

'I beg to differ.'

James draped his arm round Lily's shoulders.

'Aw, you were worried about us, that's so sweet.'

'I'm worried about the four of you getting caught,' she said bracingly.  'I do wish you'd be more careful.'

'It was in a good cause,' Peter said.

'I know, I know, but you really shouldn't transform where people could see you – what if you're discovered?  Look, you're in the _Daily_ _Prophet_ barely six months after succeeding in the transformation – '

James sighed patiently, picked up the newspaper and held it up in front of her.

'I can't see any of our names in here.  As far as anyone else is concerned, there _is_ a strange ghost dog; no rogue Animagi and no werewolves.' He smiled in Remus' direction, who grinned back cheerfully.

Lily groaned, having the sinking feeling that she was rapidly losing her argument.

'Yes, but … the point is, you did this to help Remus – '

'Which we did; behold the evidence,' said Sirius, tapping the newspaper.

'When he's _transformed_,' Lily finished pointedly.  'Not to terrorise the local Muggle community like that.'

James, Remus, Sirius and Peter all exchanged a look.

'This is coming from the person who has requested our presence here, _specifically _for the highly advanced attributes that we possess?' said Sirius blandly.  'And is totally illegal and has nothing to do with a lycanthropic plight – merely to 'terrorise' certain targeted Muggles?'

'Pot … kettle,' said James.

'Glasshouses … stones,' added Remus.

'Yes, alright!' Lily rolled her eyes.  'Fine - I give up!  I won't worry about you then, see if I care when the Ministry comes knocking on your door.'

'If we're going down, we're taking you down with us!' declared Sirius dramatically.

'You can't deny that without you, Lily, they may not have succeed so soon,' said Remus.  'The research you did was invaluable.'

'Guilty by association,' crowed Sirius gleefully.  'Anyway, you swore by the Marauder's Honour; you can't break your word.'

'Ignore them,' James whispered in Lily's ear.  'I know you worry, but we are careful.  Not that we don't appreciate your concern it's just – '

'There's no fun without a little risk,' interjected Sirius.  Peter kept nodding vigorously in agreement.  'Or with a physical embodiment of a conscious reminding us about discretion after every prank we pull.'

Lily turned her pleading eyes to Remus.  She opened her mouth, paused, sighed, and then said, 'There's no point asking if you'd talk some sense into them – you're just as bad as they are.'

Remus grinned mischievously.

James smiled. 'Too late, Lily, he's been converted.  You've got no hope.'

'Noooo,' Lily moaned.  'Remus, you were the only one with any common sense!'

'Soon cured him of that,' Sirius muttered to James, who sniggered.

'It depends on whether or not I listen to it,' said Remus, stroking Kali.

'No, it depends on whether or not you're listening to James or Sirius,' said Lily, deadpanned.  'I give up. I'm not going to waste my time worrying over the four of you any more.'

A chorus of cheers rang out much to her annoyance, but after a moment she smiled and laughed with them.

From downstairs, Petunia's nasal voice could be heard in the hallway.  Lily got up and went to stick her head out the door.

'They're getting ready to go,' she whispered gleefully to the Marauders.  Their faces lit up.

They waited patiently for Petunia and Vernon to leave the house, watching at the window.  They made an odd looking couple; a skinny whippet and a hippopotamus as Lily put it.

Deciding to give their victims a five-minute head start, the Marauders eagerly discussed the last minute changes to their plan.

*

The Rose Garden was a quaint little café in town.  Round tables stood outside, shaded with pale green parasols.  A light breeze blew pleasantly through the ivy-covered trellis framing the small court.

The waiters, dressed smartly in black trousers and white shirts, served their customers with a polite manner, making for a welcoming atmosphere.  The café wasn't too busy this early in the day but a number of regular patrons were enjoying an early lunch.

Petunia and Vernon sat in the cool shade, Vernon shifted uneasily, complaining that the plastic seats weren't comfortable – although it was more likely due to his backside only just fitting between the armrests.

Petunia, with her bony elbows on the table, actually seemed genuinely interested in his ramblings about his father's 'wonderful company' and how Vernon fully intended to expand and make a fortune when he took over in a few years.

'Fascinating,' she sighed dreamily.  'I think it's simply wonderful that a man can be so … enterprising, so focused on the future.'

'Well, can't go wasting time fooling around,' said Vernon gruffly, looking pleased.  'Unlike some people – there are idiots out there that'll never make anything of themselves.'

'Absolutely,' Petunia quickly agreed, reaching out to touch the dewy petals of a single red rose that stood in a tall, thin vase in the centre of the table.  'There are just so many more important things to be getting on with.' She smiled coyly.

Vernon reached over, gently taking her hand in his.  Petunia smiled blissfully, batting her eyelashes.

A shadow fell across the table, blocking the warm ray of sunshine Petunia had been enjoying.

'Can I get you anything?' inquired a pleasant voice.  'Are you ready to order?'

Petunia barely gave the young waiter a sideways glance, haughtily picking up one of the menus.  Vernon cast a contemptuous look over the boy, noting with disgust his slightly too-long brown hair.  The boy smiled kindly, his blue-grey eyes sparkling, pencil suspended over the notepad.

'I will have the salad and prawns,' said Petunia with the air of a snooty entrepreneur, handing back the menu with a careless flair.

The waiter didn't appear to have acknowledged the rudeness, scribbling down her order.

'And what would my lady like to drink?' he asked, still smiling.

'Tea.'

'Milk?  Sugar?'

'Milk, semi-skimmed, not too much, and _no _sugar,' she replied stiffly.

'Very well.  And for sir?'

'The same.  I'll have sugar in my tea.'

'Certainly.'

The waiter leaned over to take Vernon's menu.  Petunia glanced up at his face just as he turned and walked away.  Petunia frowned.  She twisted round in her seat to look again.  But the waiter had vanished.

'Something the matter?' said Vernon.

Petunia peered suspiciously at the other staff serving the customers around them.

'Petunia?'

'Oh, it's nothing,' said Petunia, swivelling back round.  'I just thought I'd seen that waiter before.'

'Do you know him?'

No,' she said firmly. All the same, he'd looked vaguely familiar.

A few minutes later, the waiter came back with two cups of tea, a jug of milk and a bowl of sugar.  Petunia squinted at his face but he disappeared again before she could take a good look.

Vernon didn't appear to have noticed anything.  He carried on talking in his loud booming voice as he spooned two lots of sugar into his cup.  An elderly couple at the table next to theirs cast annoyed glances in his direction.  Petunia threw them a patronising glare.

Then something else caught her eye.

Vernon was leaning back, taking a noisy slurp of his tea, but the little silver spoon in the sugar bowl was stirring the granules _by itself_.

Petunia's eyes widened in shock.

Vernon set his cup back down and carried on talking, not even noticing the spoon animatedly scooping more sugar into his tea.

'Er … Vernon,' Petunia hissed, not wanting to cause a panic. 

'Hmm?'

Petunia nervously pointed a shaking hand at the spoon.  Vernon looked down at his cup.  The spoon lay lifeless in the bowl.  Vernon picked up his cup.

'Oh, yes, it's getting cold,' he said, raising it to his lips.

Petunia winced.  Vernon paused, his eyes narrowing.  Next second, he spat out a mouthful of tea across the table, and slammed the cup down, gagging and spluttering.

'Vernon, are you okay?' screeched Petunia, frantically grabbing a handful of napkins.

'That tea is _foul!_' he croaked, snatching the napkins and mopping himself up.  'Absolutely disgusting.  I won't be paying for _that_, I'll tell you now.  Where's that waiter?'

While Vernon stormed off into the café to find someone to complain to, Petunia took a napkin and started to dry off the front of her now tea-spotted, yellow summer dress.  Casting a wary eye over the other customers, she slowly leaned across the table and tentatively poked the sugar spoon.  She jumped as it fell out of the dish.  It clattered then lay still.  Feeling ridiculously self-conscious, Petunia sat back in her chair.  The elderly couple were staring at her.

'What are you looking at?' Petunia snapped irritably, folding her arms.

Vernon returned a few minutes later, extremely agitated.

'Disgraceful,' he muttered darkly.  'An apology!  If that's the best they can do – '

His complaints were cut short as he made to sit down, for the chair slid swiftly backwards of its own accord leaving Vernon to fall heavily onto the ground with an indignant yelp.  Petunia leapt up off her seat to help him up, blushing furiously as sniggering and laughter broke through the background noise.  Certain that it was being solely directed at them, Petunia helped Vernon to sit up with as much dignity as possible.

The waiter was suddenly by their side, offering a hand.

'Are you alright, sir?' he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.  'Here, let me help you.'

It took both the waiter and Petunia to haul Vernon back onto his feet.  Vernon, angry and embarrassed, rudely waved the waiter's assistance aside, brusquely smoothing his jacket out.  Undeterred, the waiter drew the chair back over.

'Here, sit down.  That was a nasty fall.  Are you sure you're all right?  I could – '

'I'm fine,' growled Vernon, sitting down heavily.  There was a strange warmth on the seat which made him pause.

The waiter hurried away, promising that their meal would only be a few more minutes.  Trying to regain her elegant posture, Petunia shook out a rose-coloured napkin and laid it over her lap.

The napkin slid off her lap to the floor.  With a sniff of annoyance, Petunia picked it up and put it back on her lap.  It lay there for only a moment before abruptly falling off again.

Feeling slightly disconcerted, Petunia picked it up again, wondering if she were sitting in a draft.  Just to be sure, she moved her chair round slightly, closer to Vernon.  Placing the napkin on her lap, Petunia held it there, making sure it wasn't about to slide off.  Satisfied, she let go.

But the napkin suddenly flew up off her lap with such force Petunia gave a squeal.  Vernon and a number of other people jumped, turning round to stare. Flushing a deep scarlet, Petunia leant over and snatched the napkin off the ground.  She shook it vigorously and forced it down onto her knees.

'Petunia?' Vernon squinted curiously at her as she forcibly held it down.  The napkin didn't move.  Slowly, Petunia relaxed her grip.  When the napkin continued to lie still, she breathed a sigh of relief.  Vernon looked perplexed and had just opened his mouth to ask if she was alright when –

'Here we are!'

The cheerful young waiter was back.  Smiling broadly, he presented them with their meals and a generous helping of salad.

'Bon appetite,' he chirped, and walked away.

Finally approving of something, Vernon picked up his knife and fork and shoved a large forkful into his mouth.  Petunia delicately picked her own cutlery up, poking at the salad with her fork.

A strange squeak came from the salad bowl.  Petunia's eyes widened to the size of the plates as a pointed, furry face with bright beady eyes poked out from under the lettuce, whiskers twitching.

_'AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!'_

Petunia screamed at the top of her lungs, leaping two feet up off her chair, swatting at the sleek rat as it sprang out of the bowl.  Vernon's bellow blasted through the air like a foghorn.  What felt like an earthquake shook the table as Vernon leapt up; then came the worrisome sound of tearing fabric.

Vernon clapped his hands over his backside, feeling a sizeable hole in the seat of his trousers.  The missing fabric was stuck fast to the seat he'd so swiftly vacated.  His face went a nasty shade of puce as a roar of laughter broke out behind him.  The elderly couple were pointing and laughing like they'd never seen anything so funny.  The old woman was clapping delightedly.

Unfortunately, Petunia's horrific squealing had suddenly managed to convey the cause.  

'Rat!' she shrieked,  'Rat!  Oh my god, it's a _rat!'_

In seconds the entire café was in an uproar.  Women screaming, crying 'Rat!' or 'Mice!', panicking, pushing and shoving to get away.  

The grey rat scampered round the tabletop, searching for a means of escape.  From amid the panicked shouts, a piercing whistle sounded.  Help was on the way.

Scurrying to the edge of the table, the rat prepared to jump.  

_Whack!_

A tablemat slammed down on the table with such force, the rat leapt in fright, almost toppling over the edge of the table.  Spinning round, the rat was confronted by an exceptionally angry Vernon brandishing the mat at it.  He swung at the rat again with a roar of disgust.  The rat squealed as it was sent flying …

More people screamed as the hapless rodent landed scrawled on the hard patio.  Rather dazed, the rat wriggled frantically, found its feet and bolted, Vernon aiming a kick at it as the little animal fled.

There was thunderous growl and a fresh wave of petrified screaming.  Vernon turned to see a monstrous black dog racing towards him.  Growling furiously, the animal leapt up, slamming its huge paws against Vernon's chest.  Both fell heavily to the ground, knocking over chairs and another table.

The dog leapt over Vernon, spinning round for another run.  Vernon, with a huge effort, rolled over in an attempt to get up.  He froze at the sight of a large set of sharp teeth bared not four feet away.  Snatching up a fallen knife, Vernon lashed out at the dog.

'Get back you beast!' he bellowed.  Then his jaw dropped in recognition.  '_You!  _You thief!  I remember you!'

He swung the knife again.  The dog let out a plaintive yelp as the knife smacked it on the side of its muzzle.  Vernon's momentary feelings of victory faded rapidly.  The knife wasn't sharp at all, it was only a butter knife … and being smacked with a blunt instrument did not impress the animal at all.

Pale eyes blazing with fury, the animal lunged, batting the knife aside with his huge paw as Vernon tried again to defend himself.  The long jaws closed round Vernon's arm as he let out a truly terrified cry.

From the entrance to the Rose Garden, two teenagers pushed their way through the hastily departing patrons, and froze, staring in abject horror.

'Merlin's beard!  What's got into him?' exclaimed Remus.

Lily hesitated, looking frantically about her.  The café's customers were still panicking, fleeing from the dog as it continued its attack.  Some people had stopped, frozen, watching with fear, too afraid to try and help the teenager as he fought to fend off the dog that held his arm in its jaws, tearing at it in a rage.  There were shouts, calling for a Dog Warden.

'James!' Lily shouted.  _'James!'_

'Right here!' came a breathless voice from the air beside them.  There was a protracted silence, then: 'What the hell is going on?'

'Padfoot just went for him, that's what!' cried Lily.  'Do something – stop him!'

There was no answer, but a number of abandoned chairs were violently shoved aside by an invisible force.

Petunia hadn't moved far; she was rooted to the spot, screeching incessantly for help.  Vernon was still bellowing and still the dog didn't release his hold on Vernon's fat arm, snarling and shaking his head, tearing at the sleeve.

A sudden pressure was exerted upon the dog's scruff, pulling roughly.  A low voice hissed, 'Padfoot, stop it!  What's the _matter_ with you?'

Wondering vaguely where the voice had come from, Vernon was inexplicably relieved to see the young waiter rush in to seize the feral creature, and, with incredible strength, haul the animal away.  The sleeve of Vernon's jacket tore off completely; the dog proceeded to shake it like a dead animal, snarling, its pale eyes blazing.

Without even a word of explanation, the waiter dragged the dog off, giving it a sharp slap across the muzzle.  The animal dropped the ragged scrap of material, gave an irritable snap, but loped along beside him.  The crowd drew back as the animal ran towards them.  Racing out of the Rose Garden, the waiter ran with the dog, joined by a red-haired girl moments later.  In seconds, they'd disappeared down the street.

* 

'What was all that about?'

James slammed the door, the sound harsh in the otherwise silent house.  Mr. and Mrs. Evans had gone out by the time the Marauders had made it back, dragging an uncooperative Padfoot in the front door and up the stairs.

Lily was cradling a very dazed rat in her hands.  Remus hadn't said a word since he and James had dragged Sirius out of the Rose Garden.  He quietly settled himself on Lily's desk chair, cool eyes surveying an extremely sullen Sirius who was sat on the bed, having transformed, if not reluctantly.   He refused to look at any of them.

James was not in a particularly good mood.

'Well?' he demanded.  'What happened out there?'

'Nothing,' said Sirius shortly.

'Nothing?' James repeated incredulously.  'I wouldn't call mauling a defenceless Muggle _nothing_, Padfoot.'

Sirius didn't look at James, or indeed move at all.  He stared out of the window, gaze fixed on some distant point.

It was easy to tell when James was really mad.  After the first minute or two of enraged shouting, his voice would gradually become deadly quiet.  The tone of his voice was an increasingly bad sign as he continued.

'Correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember discussing that your part of the prank, at that particular stage, was simply to get Wormtail out of there … preferably _before _someone swatted him off a table with a placemat and almost got crushed by a stampede of people scared out of their wits by a seemingly rabid dog.'

Still Sirius refused to look at him.

'There was nothing to stop you stealing a dish off the table … tripping a waiter … knock over some chairs … you could have pissed on his leg again for all I care.  But not once, not for a second, did I think you'd just _attack_ someone.'

Sirius' expression hardened, his eyes flickering distractedly, but that was all the reaction James' words got.

Face etched with cold fury, James strode over to Sirius and shoved him hard on the shoulder, forcing him to turn and look.  Sirius hissed, as though in pain.  His eyes were blazing once again with that cold fire they'd seen when he'd gone for Vernon, glaring up at his best friend.  Lily and Remus exchanged nervous glances.

'_What_ is the _matter_ with you?'

'It's none of your business, James,' Sirius snarled.

'It's my business when you lose control for no apparent reason.  You could have really hurt him, Padfoot; that was not the point of the prank.'

'So what?' Sirius shrugged.  'Why should I care?'

'Because I know you better than that, Padfoot.  You may have a temper but you rarely lose it for no reason.  Check that, you _never_ lose it for no reason.  Now what's wrong with you?'

'Nothing.'

'It's not nothing.'

Sirius folded his arms and didn't say anything.  James grimaced, frustrated.

'This is so unlike you, Sirius,' said Lily softly.  Sirius' eyes flicked in her direction but he looked away almost immediately.  Handing Wormtail to Remus, Lily got up and went to sit next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.  Sirius considered shrugging her off, or at least moving away, but didn't. 

'Sirius, please,' said Lily, her eyes round with anxiety.  'If there's something wrong, you can tell us.  We may be able to help.'

'I doubt it,' Sirius muttered irritably.

'Why?'

It was odd, but for such a simple question, it seemed to have completely stumped him.  Something flickered in Sirius's eyes, his gaze wandering aimlessly.  James and Lily exchanged concerned looks.  Sirius slumped in defeat.

'He just … annoyed me,' he mumbled.

'Annoyed you?  That's it?  What – '

But James fell silent at a pointed frown from Lily.  She turned back to Sirius.

'How?'

Sirius frowned, confused.

'I – I don't know.  I just … I felt like – like he deserved it.  And he did, didn't he?  You saw him, didn't you, Lily – bullying those little girls earlier.  What kind of git thinks it's okay to pick on other people like that?'

'And you did a wonderful job of teaching him a lesson – ' She felt Sirius flinch at those words, his eyes fixed on his lap.  'But I don't see why it had to go that far.'  She cocked her head to the side, emerald eyes searching his face.  'There's something else that's bothering you.  Do you want to talk about it?' she asked gently.

There were a few moments of silence.  Sirius slowly raised his head.

Remus didn't have to say a word, for Sirius could see in his eyes how he felt about this.  There was disappointment more than anything, but his cool gaze also held a question; one that Sirius didn't want to answer.  This wasn't anybody's problem but his.  Remus' gaze fell, as though he knew what Sirius' decision was almost before he'd made it.  Sirius sighed.

'Look, I'm sorry about what happened, okay?  I don't know what got into me.'

'That's not the question I asked,' Lily reminded him.  

Sirius shifted uncomfortably.

'I didn't like the guy's attitude, all right?  You know people like that irritate me something chronic.'

'You've never tried to bite their arms off before,' said James blandly.

'I wasn't trying to bite his arm off!' Sirius snapped.  'I just … wanted to give him a scare, that's all.'

'Well, if that's the truth; mission accomplished.  I'd say he was wetting himself.'

'It _is_ the truth,' said Sirius forcibly.  He could feel his temper building; wasn't sure if he could keep it under control.  He took a deep breath, and then said, 'Stupid Muggle deserved it.  Why are Muggles like that?'

'Hey,' Lily fixed him with a mildly stern glare.  'My family are Muggles; Petunia aside, they're pretty nice people.'

'Okay, there are exceptions but most of those that I've met are total gits,' Sirius growled.  'Always thinking they're right, never wrong.  Sticking their noses into other peoples' business and dictating ideals on others.  Acts all kind and caring to one person, then treats someone else like dirt.  He's so two faced I'd like to – '

'He?'

Sirius stopped abruptly in mid-sentence.  Lily raised an eyebrow.  

'You said 'he',' she said slowly.  'So this is about someone in particular?'

Sirius didn't say anything, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically nervous.

James frowned, brow furrowed in thought.

'Hang on, this isn't anything to do with your mum's Muggle boyfriend, is it?  What's his name - Ralph?'

'Richard.'  The sudden hardening of his voice carried a clear note of anger.  When he didn't say anything more, Lily carefully asked what Richard was like.  Sirius' face darkened.

'I can't stand the git.  He's a manipulating prick who fawns like a lovesick puppy over my mum and has practically claimed my home as his own.  I just wish he'd sod off and leave us alone.'

Lily patted his hand sympathetically.

'Oh, Sirius I know that can't be easy, seeing your mum with a new man, but – '

'No, there are no 'buts' here,' said Sirius.  'He isn't right for her.  I hate him and he blatantly hates me.'

'Come on, he can't be that bad,' said Lily, but clearly she'd said the wrong thing.  Sirius rounded on her.

'Lily, you haven't met the git.  Believe me when I say I would gladly move in with Snape if it meant I could spend anytime at all away from Richard.'

Lily considered that for a moment, rather taken aback.  James looked stunned.

'You really hate him that much?'

Sirius fixed him with a patronising glare.  'If I knew Snape's address, I'd already be on my way.'

Lily managed a wry smile, but she sounded very worried.

'Sirius, if you honestly feel that strongly about Richard then you really ought to talk to your mum.  Does she know how you feel about him?  She wouldn't want you to be this upset.'

Sirius gave a derisive snort.

'Oh yeah, she blatantly knows I loathe his guts, that's no secret.  There's no way I can talk to her about him; she thinks he's some heavenly angel fallen to earth and I'm just the sullen teenager lurking in the background.  Besides, I'm in deep trouble already what with St. Richard barging into my room and finding 'evidence of devil worship',' Sirius drawled. 'Mum threw a fit.  Richard is dead set against anything even vaguely magic related, so the odds of Mum ever getting round to letting him in on our family secret are less than slim to none.  I can see that going down like a lead balloon; 'Oh, by the way Richard, we're wizards – surprise!'  He'd have a witch-hunt organised in less time than it took Roderick Plumpton to catch the Snitch.'

'Hang on, she hasn't told him that you're magic?' said Lily.  'Why not?'

'He's a Muggle,' said Remus simply.  'He has no knowledge of our world.  It's a very dangerous thing to reveal to any Muggle.  Especially when so many have such a biased view of us – thinking that we're all evil and we worship devils, summon demons and generally do bad things.  It's very difficult to get people to change their point of view because no one likes to admit to being wrong.'

'To be honest, I don't know where my mum stands.  I was starting to think that she would have gladly tied me to a stake the way she blew up when Richard thought I was part of some satanic cult.  She went and locked all my Hogwarts stuff down in the lab.'

'What, all of it?' said James, wondering if he'd heard that correctly.

'Every last quill.  Ursa was there at the time so her stuff's been locked away too.  Neither of us can even do our homework unless we're under strict supervision and the git isn't around!'

'I don't believe it,' Lily sounded deeply shocked.  

'Had a hard time getting my head round it – I think it's caused permanent damage.  I've actually found myself wishing I could do my stupid Potions essay.'

It was almost comical the way everyone's eyes widened in unison.  James' jaw dropped.

'Wow,' he whispered, stunned.  'This is serious.'

The fact that Sirius made no effort whatsoever to make a lame pun regarding his name only gave the other Marauders greater cause for concern.

'So, long story cut short, I've been having a simply wonderful game of 'Happy Families' this summer,' said Sirius morosely.  'I had to sneak out to come here.  Mum had to go to the main laboratory this morning, some emergency, and left Richard to 'baby-sit' Ursa and me.  He tried to stop me coming here but I sneaked out behind his back.'

James swore softly under his breath.

'Think you're going to be in trouble when you get back?'

'I was hoping I could sneak back into the house without him realising that'd I skipped out.  He ordered me to stay in my room and as far as he knows, that's where I am.'

'What about your mum?'

'She probably won't be back for ages.  Anyway, she's never bothered about my coming and going … not that she notices half the time, chained to the cauldron as she is.'

'What if Richard catches you coming back?' Remus spoke up.  

Sirius swallowed, running a hand distractedly through his hair.

'I won't let him,' he said nonchalantly.  'I can get in and out the house without getting caught; I've done it before.'

James sighed.

'Padfoot?'

'Hmm?'

'Why are you lying to us?'

Sirius frowned.

'What?'

'I can tell when you're lying, Padfoot.'

Sirius kept his mouth shut.  He simply looked at James, who didn't look angry any more; instead he seemed troubled, concerned.

'Has he caught you before?  Sneaking into the house I mean?' asked James, peering intently into Sirius' face.

When Sirius didn't meet his friend's gaze, James sighed.

'What happened?'

Remus sat up but didn't say anything.  Sirius could feel a strange churning in his stomach.  Should he tell them?  _Could _he tell them?  Was it really such a big deal?

'He slapped me across my face,' he said quietly.  Then he swore silently to himself – damn it, he'd said it now.  The words had just fallen out of his mouth.

There was a stunned silence.  Sirius kept his eyes focused on his lap, wishing they'd stop staring at him.

'He … he attacked you?' whispered Lily. 

Sirius shifted uneasily.  Why on earth had he said that?

'Look, he probably had a bug up his butt because I'd come back in the early hours of the morning.  He flies off the handle over stupid things.'

'Sirius, he physically struck you across the face?' Lily's eyes were alight with a cold fire.  She sounded appalled and furious.  'How many times – how often has that happened?'

Sirius was starting to wonder if telling them about Richard was a mistake.  His gaze shifted between each of their anxious faces, before settling back on his lap.

'Twice,' he muttered reluctantly.  He could still feel their eyes on him, obviously sensing that there was more.  'And he banged my head against the wall, okay?  Happy now?' he added, a touch of anger creeping back into his voice.

'Hardly.  Sirius, that's more than a 'spank the naughty child' scenario, that's abuse!  What else has he done?'

'Nothing!  That's it!  Apart from a few warnings.'

'Warnings?' James repeated.  'Or threats?'

Sirius glared.  Sincerely wishing that this conversation would just end, he felt his stomach drop unpleasantly as a soft voice spoke up.

'He nearly broke your arm, didn't he?'

Sirius stared at Remus, mouth agape.  James and Lily turned to stare incredulously.  There was a small popping sound and Peter transformed back to human, sitting down heavily on the floor at Remus' feet, staring between them, looking a little scared.  

'What … how do you … you knew about this already, Moony?' said James, sounded half stunned and half confused.

'I didn't _know_, Prongs,' said Remus carefully, ignoring the infuriated expression on Sirius' face.  'but I did think that the bruises on Padfoot's arm were a good indication.'  He looked almost helplessly at Sirius.  'I'm sorry, Padfoot, I know I said I wouldn't say anything, but if it's going too far – '

'You had no right to say that,' Sirius growled.

'I only said it because I'm your friend,' said Remus gently.  '_We're_ your friends.  Believe it or not, but we do care about you … and if Richard has been hurting you – '

'Oh, come on!  He'd only done it once!'  Sirius protested.  He hadn't meant for it to sound as though he was defending Richard, but the Marauders clearly took it that way.  Lily looked pained.  James was getting angry again and Peter just sat fidgeting like he wanted to say something but wouldn't dare say a word to break the silence.

'Sirius,' said Remus, in a harder tone than before.  'If he can do it once, he can do it again.  He threatened to hurt you, you said so yourself.'

'Why didn't you tell us before now?' asked Lily, aghast.

'I didn't think there was anything to tell,' said Sirius.  'There didn't seem any point.'

James' face darkened alarmingly.

'Padfoot, you can be such an idiot sometimes.  Of course there's a point!  You can't let that bully get away with hurting you like that – what if he's done it to other people?'

A horrible realisation dawned on Sirius at these words.

'Ursa …' he swore under his breath, eyes wide.

'He's hurt Ursa?' Lily's voice wavered fearfully.

'I – I don't know … she's never said anything.'

'Doesn't mean that something hasn't happened,' Remus said quietly, but pointedly.

'That git, if he's so much as laid a finger on her I'm – ' Sirius jumped up off the bed.  'I'm going back – I've got to see if she's okay; I left her alone with the git!'  A distinct note of panic was clear in his voice now.  

'Sirius, wait!  Don't just run back there all worked up like this, try and calm down.' said Lily, taking hold of his arm.  Breathing heavily, Sirius was really starting to feel sick.  James was right; what if Richard _had _hurt other people … hurt Ursa?  She was only thirteen.

'Lily, if he's hurt her …'

'Sirius, please, you won't be of any help to her unless someone knows what's going on.  You have to tell your mum; she'll believe you, I'm sure she will.'

'Not bloody likely,' said Sirius.  'I don't have any proof.'

'I've got an idea,' said James.  'I could ask my parents if you can stay with us for the summer; that'll get you away from Richard –'

A momentary flare of gratitude and relief flooded Sirius' mind, but it didn't last.

'Prongs, thanks, but I can't leave Ursa on her own again – I can't!'

'I'm sure I can talk my parents into letting her stay, too,' said James, although he sounded a tad unsure.  

Nevertheless, Sirius was thankful.  It was almost a relief now that they knew.  They may not be able to help, but it was a comforting thought to know that they were behind him.  He excused himself and left the room.

Heading downstairs Sirius was just about to open the front door, when Remus came down after him and pulled him aside.

'Padfoot, remember what I said; if you need help, don't hesitate to ask us for it.  Anything you need, or want us to do, you only need to ask.'

'I know, and thanks,' said Sirius. He moved towards the door, but Remus held him back for a second.

'I really mean it, Padfoot.  You need help; we'll be there.  Don't cut yourself off from us like that again, you hear me?'

Surprised at the forcefulness of Remus' statement, Sirius stared at his friend.  Remus was completely sincere.  He truly meant it … and his words were not lost on Sirius.

Managing a grateful smile without any effort at all, Sirius slung an arm round Remus' slender shoulders and gave him a brief, one-armed hug.

'I yell, I expect you to come running, right?'

'Right,' Remus smiled.  'Go on.  You'll let us know if you're not okay, won't you?'

Sirius nodded, pulled open the front door and hurried away down the street.  

*

Damning the erratic nature of the Knight Bus' journeys, Sirius ran down the road like his tail was on fire.  His four paws pounded heavily on the pavement as he weaved through the milling crowds in town, towards the housing estates.

Was Ursa okay?  What if Richard _had_ harmed her?  Was there any chance that he'd done it before?  Surely Ursa would have said _something_?  The thoughts plagued Sirius relentlessly, adding speed to his flight, determined to get back home swiftly.  He wasn't sure what he was going to do if he found Ursa hurt.  Maybe she was fine, after all.  Sirius prayed that was the case.  

By the time Sirius had reached his street, he'd made a decision.  He was going to tell his mother everything.  Sod it if she didn't believe him outright but maybe, just maybe, it would be enough to cast a shadow of doubt in her mind, to question Richard's behaviour towards Sirius.  If she would only accept the _possibility,_ then he'd be halfway there.

Heartened by the thought, Sirius slowed down as his home came into sight.

Richard's beige Volkswagen was still parked in the driveway.  Panting heavily, Sirius crouched low to the ground, edged forward, and slowly poked his muzzle round the gate.  Trying desperately to focus his poor sight on the windows, Sirius found it hard to tell if anyone was in the living room.  

Where was Richard likely to be?  Sirius' thoughts flashed back to seeing Richard wandering around in the hallway that morning.  What had he been doing anyway?  

Taking a chance, Sirius burst out of hiding and scampered down the side of the house.  The hedge growing at the edge of the fence made for a convenient bolthole.  Diving under the cover of the leafy branches, Sirius transformed once more.  The greatly improved vision was such a contrast to his dog form.  Squinting through the leaves at the kitchen window, Sirius felt another stab of frustration.  He couldn't see anyone in the kitchen. 

Right, first things first; get back inside.

Crawling beneath the window, Sirius made it to the far wall and stood up.  Stepping onto the edge of a large garden pot, Sirius climbed up and reached for a handhold in the brickwork.  A few years ago, he'd discovered a very useful method of getting up to his window; so long as his mother never thought to move the huge plant pot, he had a perfect route.  A few crumbling bricks were tedious handholds at best, but Sirius managed to hoist himself up just far enough to fling up his other hand to grab the edge of the roof.

With practised ease, Sirius quickly grabbed hold with both hands and heaved himself up.  Hooking a leg over the guttering, Sirius scrambled up.  He was probably making more noise than he knew he ought to, but the thought of Ursa sent him climbing up to his window in record time.

The window was still open, just as he'd left it.  Sticking his legs through first, Sirius slid through the gap and landed on his bed.

_Slam!_

The window abruptly slammed shut and Sirius jumped about a foot, emitting a yelp of fright.  He spun round, eyes wide.

There, standing just to the side of the window, a cold smile on his face, was Richard.

Sirius felt his heart take a horrific leap up into his throat.

'Where have you been?' asked Richard quietly.  He didn't sound angry; if anything, he sounded pleasantly interested.  However, his steely grey eyes were hard, gazing at Sirius with a disturbing kind of rapture.

'I do believe I told you to stay in your room,' he went on.  'Yet when I came up a few hours ago to check on you, I found your room empty.' He smiled.  'Where were you, Sirius?  Off meeting with your little coven, perhaps?'

'It's none of your business,' Sirius growled.  He was shaking slightly, his palms sweating.

'Oh, but I think you'll find that it is,' said Richard smoothly, still smiling in a paternal manner.  'When I tell someone to do something, I fully expect their cooperation.  You have disappointed me, Sirius, you really have.  I honestly thought you knew better than to disobey me like this.' His smile broadened.  Sirius was breathing in short, rapid breaths, moving away slightly as Richard took a step towards him.

'Don't make this difficult, Sirius,' he said.  'You make mistakes, you receive punishment; that's what you need to learn.'

Sirius' eyes darted to the door.  Should he run?  No sooner had the thought crossed his mind that Richard moved to stand between him and the door.

'Now, now, don't go trying anything foolish.'  His voice hardened, as did his face.

'Where's Ursa?' Sirius demanded.  'Where is she?'

Richard raised his eyebrows.

'She's not here.  Ursa asked if she could go to see a friend and I happily gave her permission to do so.  You, on the other hand, did not seek my permission.'

Sirius made to rise from the bed, but Richard took two swift steps forward, grabbed hold of the front of Sirius' sweatshirt and shoved him backwards.  Startled, Sirius cried out as his head came into contact with the window ledge.  A blinding pain shot through his head.  Screwing his eyes shut in agony, Sirius was jerked roughly forward, Richard pulling him close to his chest.  His foul breath blew across Sirius' face like an evil wind, his voice low and dangerous.

'You know, I'm almost glad that you didn't learn first time round,' he hissed gleefully.

Sirius was shoved roughly back onto the bed, gasping in pain.  Eyes snapping open, Sirius barely managed to move an inch before Richard had thrown his entire weight on top of him.  

Sirius started to panic as one of Richard's huge hands encircled his throat, the other pinning his chest down.  Feeling as though his legs were being crushed under Richard's weight, Sirius couldn't help but whimper in a combination of pain and fear.

Struggling to breathe, Sirius swung his fist at Richard's face.  There was a satisfying thud and Richard jerked back.  Growling furiously, Richard let go of Sirius' neck and seized his arm.

With a frightened yelp, Sirius felt his arm go numb as Richard twisted it, applying pressure to the elbow joint.  Certain that it was going to break, Sirius desperately fought to move, but couldn't.  Panting hard, he felt tears of pain sting his eyes; he screwed them shut and stopped struggling.

Abruptly, Richard got off him.  His arm falling limply to his side, Sirius lay still, breathing heavily while the pain coursed through his shaking body.  His legs didn't feel as though they were even there; the prickling of pins and needles swarmed over his skin.  Opening his eyes, Sirius squinted up at Richard.  He knelt down at the edge of the bed, so that his face was on the same level as Sirius'.

'That was but a taster,' he informed him coolly, 'so I give you fair warning.  You break your silence on this matter and I will see to it that you will regret _ever_ questioning my authority.  Do you understand?'

Shaking uncontrollably, Sirius whispered, 'Yes.' He hated himself for sounding so weak.

Richard smiled with grim satisfaction.

'Well done, you remembered.'

He stood up.  Sirius didn't dare move.  Biting his tongue to keep from making another sound, he waited for Richard to leave.  He didn't.  He just stood there, arms folded across his broad chest, seemingly very satisfied.   He gave a sigh, like he'd just had a relaxing massage, rolling his shoulders back.

'Well, beneficial all round, wouldn't you agree?' he chuckled, turning and walking away without waiting for an answer.  Just as he reached the door, he added:  'I must remember to talk to Ann about my concerns; whether such disobedience should forfeit any privileges of freedom.  I'm sure she'll see it my way.'

And, with that, he left.

Sirius released a shaky breath, wincing as his entire body throbbed.  Lying still for almost ten minutes, Sirius gradually reached down to rub some of the feeling back into his legs.  

There was a warm, wet sensation on the pillow.  Slowly, he reached up to touch the back of his head.  Gently, he brushed his fingers over a large bump.  Hissing in pain, Sirius withdrew his hand sharply.  His fingers were covered in blood.

Sirius stared at them.  The crimson liquid staining his fingers shone brightly as the afternoon sun caught it.

For a long time, Sirius didn't move.  Every part of him ached.  He closed his eyes, trying to regulate his breathing without much success.  

Shadows gradually slipped into the room as the sun began to descend.  Still, Sirius had barely moved.  Each movement took too much effort with little results.  In an attempt to apply some pressure to the wound, Sirius had pulled a sock out of his drawer by the bed, folded it and placed it under his head.  The thick material had soaked up a fair amount of blood.  Hopefully lying on it would give enough pressure to stem the flow of blood.  

Drifting in and out of an exhausted and restless sleep, Sirius wasn't sure if the frantic scrabbling sound was real or a figment of his imagination.  A plaintive mewling coaxed him back into full wakefulness.

Blinking hard, Sirius forced himself to sit up a bit, leaning back against the bloodstained pillow and headboard.

Two large green eyes blinked at him from the window.  Cosmic patted the pane with his front paws, scrabbling furiously and crying.

Stretching out a hand, Sirius took hold of the window and slowly pushed it up.  At the barest sign of a gap, the cat instantly stuck his nose through, wriggling.  Giving the pane another shove, it slid up and Cosmic dropped down onto the bedspread.  His eyes gleaming in the semi-darkness, Cosmic mewed softly and rubbed himself up against Sirius.  Lying back down with a grunt of pain, Sirius drew the little animal close, allowing the cat to lie half across his chest, rubbing his furry head under Sirius' chin.  

The walls of the room were starting to turn a beautiful yellow as the sun fell closer to the horizon.  How late was it now?  Shouldn't Ursa be coming back soon?  Or had she asked to stay overnight at her friend's?  Sirius felt guilty for wishing she'd come back so he wouldn't feel so alone, but her being here would put her at risk.  A forceful churning of his stomach prompted Sirius to roll over.  Cosmic watched his master anxiously.

'I can't take much more of this,' Sirius whispered miserably to the cat.  'I hate to say it … but I wish I hadn't come back at all.  Maybe I should have taken Prongs up on that offer …' he trailed off.  

Prongs … Wormtail … Lily … Moony …

They knew.  They'd wanted to help him earlier; he hadn't wanted it then but he sure as hell needed it now.

Sirius sat up so quickly he cried out and put a hand to his head.  The blood had been clotting for a while now; the blood on the pillow was drying out.  But the pain remained.  Cosmic, eyes blinking up at Sirius, mewed and batted his side with a paw.

Chiding himself sternly, Sirius forced himself up off the bed.  Parchment, paper; there had to be some still lurking about.  Opening his wardrobe, Sirius rummaged around in the pockets of his jeans and trousers.  Success; an old scrap of parchment.  Almost tearing it in his haste, Sirius pulled it out and renewed his search efforts.  Thank goodness he'd never once in his entire life, cleaned his room out properly.  An old crumpled swan quill made its belated appearance as Sirius turned an old coat inside out, rummaging through the pockets.

The only problem now was ink.  Sirius smoothed out the parchment on his desk and took up the quill.  He paused, thinking.  Cosmic emitted a grumbling yowl from the bed.  Sirius cast him a baleful look.  

Slowly, he reached up and rubbed at the bloody scab on the back of his head.  Cosmic mewed in distress, springing off the bed and batting frantically at Sirius' legs.  The warm blood seeped over his fingertips and Sirius grimly rubbed some to the nib of the quill.  Quill to parchment, he wrote a short message in his own blood.

_S.O.S.  Trapped.  Hurt.  Help!_

His hand shook as he underlined the last word, but there was a sense of relief and hope as he finished it.  Feeling a tad light-headed, Sirius grabbed a clean sock and placed the pad to the wound.  It stung but he gritted his teeth and bared it.  That would have to be enough.  But how to get the message to the Marauders?  He didn't have an owl and he couldn't leave the house to see if Mrs. Fennel happened to have one at her house.

Sirius' gaze fell upon the black cat at his feet, blinking up at him.

Could that possibly work?  Cosmic wasn't stupid, but could he find his way to Prongs?  Did Sirius really have any other choice?

He bent over and scooped the cat up in his arms.  Rolling up the parchment, Sirius tucked it into Cosmic's purple collar, sticking it through a loop in the material.  Hoping that would hold it there, Sirius held the cat close.

Cosmic, sensing his young master's misery and distress, rubbed against his cheek and gave him a lick with his little pink tongue.

'Cosmic,' Sirius whispered, a clear note of urgency in his voice,  'I really hope you can understand this because I really need you right now …'

*

As the sun gave a last flare of golden light across the sky before night could chase it away, a little black cat scampered down the driveway of its home, pausing only for a second to look back at the upstairs window, before racing away up the street and into the oncoming darkness.

*

**To Be Continued.**

*

**Please review.  All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.  **

*

**Author's Notes.  **

**NightSpear – **I had a lot of fun writing these last few chapters; how can I resist poking fun at Vernon Dursley? ^_^   And I guess that last scene answers your question about Richard hurting Sirius, and Ursa.   Yes, sorry, but one chapter a week it has to be.  I need time to get going on my next fic.  I don't want to go for months without posting anything.

**Lin-z – **Thank you!

**Christy – **Unfortunately, you were absolutely correct on your first comment.  Not very nice to get beaten up like that, but as you guessed, it was a likely consequence of Sirius sneaking out.  And I'm glad that you understood why Sirius skipped out, I would have felt the same way; frustrated and rebellious.  Hee hee, I took so much pleasure in torturing Petunia and Vernon these last two chapters.  Who wouldn't?

**WallyTheWhale – **Ah, I'm glad someone asked about Mrs Fennel.  I did work out a back-story for her but it just wasn't important to the storyline so I never had an opening to explain it.  The reason why only her and her daughters are mentioned it because her 'husband' was never around for her.  When Irene Fennel is first introduced, I wrote that she was a 'young mother', envisioning her to be about twenty-five.  As her daughters are six, that means she would have fallen pregnant at about nineteen.  The way I see it, is that she told her boyfriend the news and he did a runner, not wanting to commit to a family at such a young age.  Irene didn't want to abort the pregnancy so went on to give birth to twins, later moving into the same neighbourhood as the Blacks.  She and Andromeda became friends, as there aren't that many witches and wizards in the area.  Then when Andromeda and Orion started fighting a few years later, Irene would often have Sirius and Ursa round her house, thus she had developed a good friendship with them and their mother by the time Orion moved out.   Anyway, that's her story; when her character strolled into my head, she came with kids, no husband, a kindly nature and a determined frame of mind that helped her cope with two children on her own.  I never intentionally made her like Mrs. Weasley but now that you've mentioned it, she is a bit like her.

I'm not familiar with lifetime movies, but if they're really cheesy, then I wouldn't feel inclined to watch them anyway.  Still, considering they're based on true stories they might be worth a look.

Urgh, I felt like dirt having Andromeda use Sirius' pet-name like that, but it just slipped out when I was writing that bit and I could image the look of indignation and hurt on Sirius' face; so I couldn't help it, it was cruel, but it fitted, so in it went.  And it took me a while to word Andromeda's sentence so that Sirius could 'justify' his leaving the house.  Loopholes are great, so long as you can work them out.  ^_^  

Ugly guy Vernon Dursley and beanpole Petunia – one nasty couple, and unwilling participants in a Marauder prank!  And it's hard coming up with a prank that didn't involve magic, unless it was the Cloak and their Animagus forms.  But I had fun!

**Calimora – **Thank you very much!  I sincerely hope you'll enjoy the rest of it.  ^_^


	13. The Price You Pay

**Chapter Thirteen; The Price You Pay**

The last vestiges of sunlight were gone, leaving the room full of shadows.  A soft glow from the quarter moon filtered through the window, but Sirius was only dimly aware of it.  He lay perfectly still on the bed; he'd barely moved in the last hour or so.  Sleep refused to come to his aching body, though once or twice he'd slipped into unconsciousness, his head pounding incessantly.

The metallic smell of blood lingered in the stale air.  The pillow was covered in dry, brown stains.

Eyes closed, Sirius listened to the monotonous ticking of the clock on the bedside table, counting silently, just to prove to himself that he was still awake.  Every now and then he'd open his eyes to look at the time.

9 o'clock … 9:08 … 9:23 … 9:40 …

At five to ten, the front door opened.  Sirius opened his eyes and listened intently.  A deep sense of relief flooded through him as he caught the muffled voice of his sister, sounding a little concerned.

A deeper male voice answered from further away.  Sirius felt his stomach clench.

Richard.

The evil git was alone with his sister.

A surge of deep-seated anger gave Sirius a momentary feeling of strength and he made to sit up … but a painful pulse tore through his head and he quickly lay back down with a hiss of pain.  The wound wasn't bleeding as profusely but the pain had yet to diminish.  Sirius wasn't sure if it was getting better or worse.

He lay still, forcing himself to ignore the pain and focus on the conversation downstairs.

'There you are,' came Richard's voice.  It sounded mildly stern.

Ursa's swift reply was clearly an apology.  Sirius caught the words; 'didn't realise … so late … sorry …'

Richard responded with what may have been a reprimand but, judging by the tone, he wasn't angry with her.  A pause, then another few words from Richard.

Sirius carefully raised his head to free his other ear, just in time to hear Ursa state that she was going to bed and the sound of her climbing the stairs.

Richard's voice, still down in the hall, called after her.

'Your brother's gone to bed already; try to keep the noise down, okay?'

'Yes, Richard,' said Ursa from the top of the stairs.  'Goodnight.'

'Goodnight Ursa, sweet dreams.'

If Sirius had had the strength, he would have called out, got Ursa's attention … as it was, he could barely bring himself to open his mouth and whisper.  Light footsteps crept past his door, and then came the sound of Ursa's bedroom door being eased open and closed with great care.

She was safe.

Sirius closed his eyes, breathing deeply.  Ursa was okay.  Those three words brought him immense relief and hope.

But it was short lived.

Now she was back in the house … with Richard.  And in his current condition, Sirius could do nothing to protect her.

Cursing himself bitterly over and over, Sirius wrapped his arms around himself in a vain attempt to keep from trembling.

His eyes fell upon the patch of quilt beside him, devoid of the little furry animal who had so often provided a means of comfort.

Sirius chided himself.  It was stupid to believe that Cosmic would be capable of travelling almost twenty miles from here to James' home in Oxford.  It was too far for such a small creature.  Besides, Sirius had only taken Cosmic with him to James' house a few times during the past five summers.  What chance was there that Cosmic could possibly remember the way?  Had the cat even understood what Sirius had asked of him?

It was a futile hope and Sirius knew it.  Cosmic may have picked up on Sirius' moods and knew he needed some comfort … but to comprehend the urgency of an S.O.S message?

Sirius sniffed, rubbing his eyes.  He sighed, and then winced as another wave of intense pain went through his head.  Placing a hand to his temple, Sirius found himself breathing faster, in shallow breaths, his vision blurring.  A few moments later, he gave up as a wave of darkness swam across his vision, dragging him down into unconsciousness once more.

*

_Ding dong._

The doorbell chimed loudly though the house.  With an irate sigh, Richard strode out of the living room.  Who was calling at half-past ten at night?  Impatiently, he pulled open the door.

There, on the doorstep, was a teenage girl.  Her dark red hair was tied up in two large bunches, the girl's green eyes peering up at Richard through a pair of round spectacles.

'Yes?' said Richard politely.

The girl hesitated, giving a timid, uncertain smile.

'Hello … er, I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but … er … I'm kinda lost,' she admitted sheepishly, holding up a crumpled map.  'I'm looking for Acacia Avenue?'

Richard reached out and took hold of the street map.

'Well, you're not too far off,' he muttered.  'Which way did you come?  From over Hazlehurst Drive?'

The girl shook her head, squinting at the map.

'No … I came this way,' she pointed.  'I'm sure it was take the second left and third right … or maybe it was meant to be _third_ left and second right, I honestly can't remember!'  Her voice rose shrilly as she appeared to become more panicked.  'Oh my god, my aunt's gonna kill me!  I promised I'd be back over an hour ago!'

Richard opened his mouth.  'Look, miss – '

'She's going to go mental, I know it!  I _knew_ I should've taken the bus!'

'Miss, I think if you just – '

'Is there a late bus round here?' she asked, suddenly much calmer, her gaze drifting over Richard's shoulder.

'No,' he said shortly.  He placed the map firmly back in her hands and pointed up the street.  'Take a left at the end of the road, take a right at the park and Acacia Avenue is just down there.'

The girl beamed delightedly.

'Oh, thank you, sir,' she said, clasping her hands together.  'I thought I'd be wandering round out here all night; you're very kind.'

'You're welcome,' said Richard, forcing a smile. He stepped back to close the door, the girl peering anxiously round him as he shut it.  

'Thank you!' she called again cheerfully from the other side of the door.  Her shoes clacked loudly on the path as she walked away.

Richard's smile melted into a frustrated grimace.

'Blasted kids,' he growled.  He turned and strode back into the living room.

Completely unnoticed, a grey rat continued its steady climb up the staircase.

*

Walking swiftly down the road, Lily hurried into the park, heading for the picnic area.  Seated at one of the tables, Remus and James were waiting anxiously, a little black cat sitting on the tabletop.  Remus spotted her first, glancing up as she jogged towards them.

'There you are!' He sounded very relieved.  'How'd it go?'

'Phase one complete,' said Lily with a small smile.  'The rat has landed.'  She whipped off the glasses and handed them back to James who nodded his thanks, blinking blearily as he put them back on his face.  Lily rubbed her eyes.  'I don't know how you can see out of them,' she muttered.

'Who answered the door?' asked James.

'Tall bloke; got to be this Richard fellow,' said Lily, pulling the hair-bands out and shaking her long hair loose. 

'He didn't see Wormtail at all?'

'I kept him busy long enough for Peter to sneak in and start up the stairs.  He was about halfway up when Richard closed the door on me, but I don't think he saw him.  I felt ridiculous, acting like an idiot,' she added.

'I'm sure you did great, Lily,' Remus assured her.  'Come on, let's go.  We've got a Marauder to break out of there.'

Nodding solemnly, the three of them quickly left the park, Cosmic trotting at their heels.

*

Jump, scramble, scramble, pull … jump, scramble, scramble, pull …

Wormtail quickly got into a steady rhythm, clambering up the stairs.  Digging his little nails into the carpet and pulling himself up each step wasn't easy, with his front legs being so short, but he managed it.

Jump, scramble, scramble, pull …

With one more jump, Wormtail finally reached the landing.  Feeling quite pleased with himself, Wormtail scurried into the nearest patch of shadows.  

So far so good.  He'd remained undetected.  It was a stroke of luck that the man at the door hadn't glanced down when he'd run inside.  Hopefully his luck would hold out long enough to get back outside.

Setting off down the landing at a fast waddle, Wormtail kept close to the wall.  He reached a door and took a sniff at the crack near the floor, whiskers twitching.  Sitting up on his hind legs, Wormtail gave the door a few tentative scratches with his stubby front legs.

Nails scrapping against the wood, he listened carefully.  There was no sound from inside.

He tried again, emitting some rapid squeaks in the process, pausing for a second to listen.

Still nothing.

Moving away from the door, the rat closed its eyes.  With a faint pop, Peter appeared.  Glancing nervously over his shoulder at the stairway, he grabbed the handle and tapped on the door.

No answer.

Peter slowly opened the door a crack, squeezed through into the room and carefully closed the door without a sound.  With a small sigh of relief, Peter turned, his eyes quickly adjusting to the gloom.

Sirius's bedroom was dark, only the moonlight casting a few shadows through the window, highlighting a figure lying on the bed.

'Sirius?' Peter whispered.

There was no response.  Creeping across the room, Peter leaned over and gently shook his friend's shoulder.  

'Sirius?  Come on, wake up.'

A muffled groan escaped Sirius' lips.  A grimace of pain flashed across his pale face.  Slowly, he opened his eyes.  Sirius blinked a few times, his pale blue eyes finally achieving some focus then narrowing in confusion.

'Wormtail?' came a dazed whisper.  'Wha … what are you doing here?'

'We got your message,' whispered Peter.  'We've come to get you out of here.'

'We've?' Sirius repeated, raising a hand to his head, perplexed.

'Yeah, Prongs, Moony and Lily are outside,' Peter's voice took on a grave, worried tone.  'Prongs didn't half freak out when your cat turned up with that message written in blood.  You said you were hurt …'

Sirius, still trying to process the thought that Peter was standing at his bedside, tired to get up, but cried out in pain and slumped over.  Eyes wide, Peter grabbed hold of him.

'Padfoot?  What's wrong?  Where're you – '

He froze as he caught sight of the bloodstained pillow.  Peter promptly used a few choice words that Sirius hadn't even realised his friend knew.

Peter held Sirius steady, staring transfixed at the wound on the back of his friend's head.  Sirius attempted to move again but Peter stopped him.

'No, stay still,' he said, voice shaking.  'Don't move.  I – I'll go tell Prongs.  I'll be back as soon as I can.'

Sirius made a soft noise of understanding, resignedly laying back down, watching as Peter hurriedly slipped back out of the room.

*

The journey back down through the house was swift to say the least.  Wormtail leapt down each stair so fast he almost overshot a number of times, tumbling down the last few steps before racing down the hall to the kitchen, keeping close to the wall as he ran.

The light on in the kitchen brought his flight to an abrupt halt.  Heavy footfalls reverberated through the floor.  The door was ajar.  Wormtail crept forward cautiously.

The man who had opened the front door, presumably Richard, was opening cupboards and shoving the contents around, muttering darkly to himself.  He slammed the door shut, then moved over to inspect the contents of the next one.

Scampering across the floor, Wormtail raced for the gap between the wall and the rubbish bin.  No sooner had his long bald tail whipped out of sight that the man turned, used a loud vulgar word and stormed out of the kitchen.

Not wanting to wait around, Wormtail made a dash for the back door.  In the blink of an eye, he'd transformed, unlocked the backdoor, slipped outside and shut the door as quietly as he could. Changing back into his rat form he quickly ran round to the front of the house.

Waiting outside the gate for him were James, Lily and Remus, all looking sombre.

James' face lit up slightly as Wormtail scurried out of the darkness and transformed, but his eyes clouded instantly at the expression on Peter's face.

'What's wrong?' he asked.  'Something happen?'

'We've got a problem,' said Peter breathlessly.  'Padfoot's _really_ hurt.'

James' face darkened, but when he spoke it was with forced calm.  Getting angry now wasn't going to help the situation, as Remus had constantly reminded him since Cosmic had turned up at his house.  Seeing a cry for help written in his best friend's blood was not something James was taking lightly.  Within minutes of Flooing the others, they'd met up on the Knight Bus, hastily formulating a rescue plan.

'How bad?' asked James, his voice shaking with silent anger.

Peter swallowed nervously and gestured to the back of his head.  'Blood … it's everywhere.  I'm not sure if Padfoot's up to transforming; he could barely sit up.'

Lily's mouth was open in horror, eyes wide.  Remus' eyes, normally bright and kind, were now cold and hard.  He turned to James, whose face was etched with cold fury.

'What do we do, Prongs?' asked Remus quietly.

'What we came here to do,' said James firmly.  'Padfoot needs our help – we're getting him out of there.'

'But … if he can't transform – ' Peter started.

'Slight change of plan,' said James briskly.  'Moony, you and I will go and get Padfoot.  We'll use the Cloak, same as we planned.  Lily, you and Peter stay here.  See if you can cause some sort of diversion in about fifteen minutes; try to get Richard to come outside if you can.  We'll sneak out the backdoor and meet up with you later back at the park, okay?'

'Before you go, take this,' said Lily.  She handed him a small drawstring pouch.  'See what you can do for Sirius before you try to move him.'

James opened the pouch.

'Lily, are you sure it's safe to use this stuff?  What if the Ministry picks up on underage magic?'

Lily hastily shook her head.

'Don't worry, James.  It's minor healing magic, not something they're likely to pick up on.  Just don't use a wand to apply anything.  Remus, you know enough about Healing to know what you're doing, right?'

Remus nodded firmly.

'Okay then, let's go.'

Pulling James' Invisibility Cloak over themselves, Remus and James vanished from sight.  Quickly and as quietly as they could, they crept round to the backdoor.  There were no sounds from inside.  Remus reached out and opened the door.

They kept close together, tiptoeing through the kitchen and out into the hallway.

Abruptly, James stopped, holding out a hand to stop Remus.

'What?' Remus whispered.

Silently, James gestured to the living room.  A low grumbling voice, the sound of movement.  Quickly, James and Remus backed up, flattening themselves to the wall and not a moment too soon.

Richard, scowling darkly, marched out of the living room, brushing past the teenagers so close that Remus had to move his feet quickly to avoid being trodden on.  As soon as Richard had gone into the kitchen, James indicated the stairs with a jerk of his head.  Remus nodded.

Climbing the stairs took an agonisingly long time.  Each step seemed to creak loudly enough to alert Richard.  But he did not leave the kitchen.

Growing increasingly impatient, James took the last few steps two at a time, stepping out from under the Cloak and went straight to Sirius' room.

'James!' Remus whispered warningly, catching up.

James didn't pay much attention.  He opened the door and they slipped inside, pulling the Cloak off as they went.

The first thing they noticed was Sirius half hanging over the edge of his bed, seemingly unconscious.  The second thing was the sharp smell of blood.

James' face drained of colour.  He made to run over to his friend but Remus grabbed his arm and hissed, 'We're right over the kitchen!  We have to be quiet.'

James' first thought was to simply get to Sirius and help him, but seeing the logic of Remus' words, hesitated, and then nodded his understanding.

Still, James made his way across the room as fast as he was able to on tiptoe.  He crouched down next to Sirius.  Upon the discovery of his head wound, James expressed his opinion with a lot of colourful language.  Remus leant over to take a look.  Composed as always, he didn't swear, but his face made his feelings very clear.

James put a hand to Sirius' forehead. 

'He's like ice,' he whispered.

'He's lost quite a bit of blood,' said Remus, eyeing the bloodstained pillow.  'Probably passed out.'

James gave Sirius a gentle shake.

'Padfoot?  Can you hear me?  Wake up.'

Sirius didn't respond.  Remus took Lily's pouch out of his pocket and drew out a handful of leaves.  He leaned over and pressed them firmly against the wound.

'What's that?'

'Plantain leaves,' said Remus.  'It'll stop the bleeding.'

A soft groan drew their attention.  Sirius shifted restlessly.

'Padfoot?' whispered James.

Sirius opened his eyes.  He seemed very disoriented.

'Prongs … you – you came?'

'Yep.  Moony's here too,' said James, smiling with relief.  'You scared the living daylights out of me -you know that?  No wonder you wrote that message in blood.'

'Cosmic … he found you …'  

'Yeah, damn smart cat you've got.  I think he's waiting outside; didn't seem keen on coming back in.'

'Don't blame him,' said Sirius.  He sounded exhausted.  He winced, raising a hand to his head.

'Hey, stay still,' said Remus, pressing the leaves firmly to his head.

'What are you doing?' Sirius whispered.

'Stopping the bleeding; it shouldn't take a minute.'

When Remus finally removed the leaves, the blood had clotted fairly well, a scab beginning to form.  Delving into the pouch, he took out a small potion bottle and a small pink stone.

'Here, drink this.'

James took the bottle and helped Sirius to sit up.  He eyed the dark red potion warily.

'Don't worry, Padfoot, I didn't brew it, it's perfectly safe,' Remus assured him, rubbing the stone vigorously between his palms.  'It'll help, trust me.'

Sirius gratefully took the bottle from James and took a sip.  It tasted pleasantly like blackberries.  Downing the rest of it, Sirius felt a strange sensation flow through him, like warmth was running right through his veins. His head felt clearer and his vision wasn't quite so blurry.

'Better?' asked James, eyes full of concern.

'Yeah,' said Sirius softly.  'Thanks.' A look of shock suddenly fell over his features and a quiver of fear was evident in his voice.  'How did you get in here?  Didn't Richard see you?  What – '

James grinned mischievously, holding up the Invisibility Cloak.

'Don't leave home without it.'

It coaxed a small smile but Sirius' eyes were reproachful.

'You've got to go – if Richard catches you two here – '

'We're not hanging around to exchange pleasantries,' said James firmly.  'We're going to leave any minute now and we're taking you with us.'

Sirius stared, mouth slightly open.

'Prongs, I – I can't leave.'

'Oh, yes, you can.'

'No, I can't!'

'Why not?'

'Ursa,' Sirius hissed.  'I can't leave her on her own.'

'Padfoot, I'm sorry, but _you_ are our priority,' said James.  'We'll come back for her, okay?  We won't leave her behind, I promise.'

Sirius hesitated, and then nodded, the ghost of a smile gracing his face.  James turned to Remus.

'Think we ought to wait for Lily and Wormtail?  They should be providing a distraction any minute now.'

Remus nodded.

'In the mean time, I think we should try this; try to heal that wound.' He held out the rose quartz.  Gripping it firmly, he closed his eyes and chanted, _'Lapis medici, tribueo meus vis.'  _The stone began to shine with a soft inner light, sending a pink glow across the darkness.

Remus opened his eyes and handed the glowing stone to James.

'No self respecting Healer would be without a rose quartz,' he said, smiling.  'So be glad that Lily believes in being well prepared.'

James held the stone and recited the incantation, which Remus helpfully provided on a strip of parchment from the pouch.

_'Lapis medici, tribueo meus vis.'_

The light shone even brighter than before, the light flaring against the shadows.  Sirius glanced nervously at the door.  What if someone saw the light from under the door?

James placed the quartz into Sirius' palm, and closed his hand over it.  Remus held out a second piece of parchment.

'Just read that out loud,' he instructed, 'and hold that to your chest.'

Sirius nodded, held the stone to him and whispered, _'Lapis medici, donum vis ad ergo …'****_

*

Outside in the front drive, Lily and Peter were busy setting up their 'diversionary' tactic.  Finding Richard's car carelessly unlocked, they shoved a Dr Filibuster's Firework inside.  Concerned that the car may catch fire, Lily had been extremely apprehensive of the suggestion, but Peter assured her that the most damage the firework was likely to do was leave the upholstery a little charred.

'A lot of noise and a lot of sparks is all we'll get,' he said, lodging the firework under the passenger seat.

'Good.  I didn't particularly want to be responsible for totally wrecking a car – even if it does belong to a sadistic bully.'  Lily glared in the direction of the living room window.  A light shone from behind the curtains.  'Okay, we can't use a wand … got any matches?'

Peter looked blankly up at her.  Lily raised an eyebrow.

'You brought fireworks but no matches?'

'Er … well …'

Lily closed her eyes.

'Great,' she muttered under her breath.  She opened them again, fixing Peter with a mildly stern glare.  'Don't suppose you noticed any in the kitchen while you were in there?'

'Um, I couldn't see much,' Peter admitted.  'I was a rat – my eye level is only a few centimetres off the floor.'

Lily sighed, running a hand through her hair.

'Okay, not a problem … I'll just sneak in, see if I can find some.'

Peter's eyes widened.

'Lily!  Don't!  You might get caught!'

But Lily was already heading for the back of the house.

'I'll only be a minute, Peter.  You stay here,' she called back over her shoulder.

'But – '

But she was gone.

*

Treading lightly down the path, Lily crept to the back door.  Pressing her ear to the door, she waited, listening.  Satisfied that there was no one there, she turned the handle.  Peeking inside, Lily slowly edged through the gap.

Casting nervous glances at the door to the hallway every few seconds, Lily opened a drawer and began rummaging through the contents.  No sign of any matches.  She moved onto the next drawer.

'Bingo,' she whispered triumphantly.  One box of matches.  She took them and tucked them into her pocket.

'Lost are we?' came a low voice.

Lily gave a squeak of fright as she jumped, spinning around.  The man who'd answered the door; Richard no doubt, was framed in the doorway, scowling angrily.  His eyes narrowed in recognition.

'What are you doing here?' he growled, stepping over the threshold.  'Who are you?'

Lily took a step back, eyes flicking to the back door.  Making a split second decision, she bolted.  But before she could reach the door, Richard dove forward and seized her arm.

'Oh, no, you don't, you little thief!'  He pulled her away from the door.

Lily pulled back, trying to get out of his grip.

'Don't touch me,' she snarled, emerald eyes blazing, meeting Richard's stony glare.

'What's in your pocket, girl?' demanded Richard.  When Lily didn't answer, Richard dug a hand into her pocket and pulled out the matchbox.  He held them up in front of her face.  'I don't think these belong to you, do they?'

Lily didn't say anything.

'Lily?'

Both Richard and Lily abruptly turned their heads towards the voice.

Standing in the doorway, dressed in a purple dressing gown and looking rather puzzled, was Ursa, her blue eyes moving between Richard and Lily.

'What are you doing here?' she asked curiously.

Slowly, Richard turned back to look at Lily, a cold smile playing on his lips.

'So … _you're_ Lily,' he said softly, rolling the name on his tongue.  'What _are_ you doing here, I wonder.'  His face lit up as though a thought had just occurred to him.  'Oh, let me guess … come for your little friend, have you?'

'Yes,' said Lily defiantly, refusing to show her fear.  She noticed that the moment Ursa had walked in, Richard had let go of her arm.  'Where is he?'

'What's going on?' said Ursa from the doorway, sounding annoyed.

Richard looked at her.

'Ursa, what are you doing out of bed?'

'I came down for a glass of water,' she said, still looking between them both.  'What's going on?' she asked again, more insistently.

'Lily here, came over to visit Sirius,' said Richard placidly, fixing Lily with a penetrating stare.  'However, Sirius is being punished for his misbehaviour, so I cannot allow you to see him.'

Ursa raised an eyebrow sceptically.

'But … it's the middle of the night,' she said, clearly not buying the explanation.

Richard ignored her, his eyes boring into Lily's.

'Did you come alone?'

Lily nodded.  Richard continued to stare at her.  She squirmed uneasily but still refused to speak.

A thump from overhead drew Richard's gaze.  Lily looked up too, feeling her stomach clench.  Then came another soft thump, followed by a muffled voice.  A cold smile fell over Richard's face.  He looked back at Lily, who swallowed nervously.  

'You stay right here,' he said.  He closed the back door, locked it and took the key with him as he left the kitchen, leaving Lily and Ursa behind.

Ursa looked totally baffled.

'Will someone explain _what is going on?_' she cried.

Lily hurried over to her.

'Ursa, are you okay?  You're not hurt are you?'

Ursa gave her a look as though questioning her sanity.

'Yes, I'm fine,' she said slowly.  'Why wouldn't I be?'

'Sirius, do you know if he's alright?'

'I don't know,' said Ursa, exasperated.  'I haven't seen him at all today; he'd already gone to bed when I came home.'

'You've been out today?' asked Lily.

Ursa nodded.

'Been out all day with Bethany.  Sirius was in his room when I left this morning.'

'How do you know if you didn't see him?' asked Lily.

'Richard told me,' said Ursa, like it was obvious.  'Now what are you doing here in the middle of the night?  You can't tell me you just came round to see Sirius, you live in Surrey!  That's miles away.'

Lily didn't reply.  Her feeling of dread was rapidly increasing as Richard's footsteps could be heard climbing up the stairs.

*

'Prongs!  Be careful!'  

'Sorry!' 

Hastily, Remus swept up the fallen potion bottles back into Lily's pouch.

'Didn't break any, did I?' James whispered nervously.

'No.  But try to be more careful with them next time, okay?'

Sirius tenderly touched the back of his head, still amazed.  The swelling had gone right down.  It was still sore but it was much more bearable compared to how it had felt earlier.  The rose quartz was dull once more, its magic done.

'I've got to get one of those,' he whispered to no one in particular.

James shook out the Invisibility Cloak.

'Come on, we can't wait any longer; let's get going.'

Sirius stood up.  Pleased to find that he didn't even feel slightly dizzy, he felt a trace of his confidence return.  Exchanging a thankful smile with the others, they made for the door.

Just as they reached it the handle turned and the door was flung open, the Marauders leaping back in an instant.  

Richard stood in the doorway, dark shadows lining his cold face.  His grey eyes flashed ominously.  The Marauders backed away slowly, Sirius moving slightly behind James, who quickly hid the Cloak behind his back, trying to stuff it into his pocket, out of sight.

An unconvincing smile slowly slid over Richard's face.

'Well now, what have we here?' he asked quietly.  He looked at Sirius.  'Sirius … an explanation, if you please.'

For a moment, Sirius hesitated.

'I – I was – '

'Not planning on going anywhere, are we?' Richard raised an eyebrow, his steely gaze taking in James and Remus who were both looking very apprehensive.   'And you are?'

'We're friends of Sirius,' stated James curtly, his eyes narrowing.

'Indeed … and why would the three of you be so intent on visiting so late at night?'

Remus, James and Sirius exchanged a look, Remus mouthing: 'Three?'

Richard smiled.

'I believe Lily is making herself comfortable downstairs,' he said.  'You may wish to join her … while I see about calling your parents,' he added coldly.  He stepped aside and pointed to the door. 'Downstairs, now.'

Not sure of what to do, James and Remus reluctantly walked out of the room.  Richard fixed Sirius with an angry stare.  'You too,' he growled.  'You may appreciate the opportunity to see them one last time.'

And with a feeling of immense trepidation, Sirius slowly walked past Richard and followed his friends downstairs.

*

Outside, Peter impatiently checked his watch for the fifth time in as many minutes.

'Come on, Lily,' he muttered.

Glancing nervously about the darkened street, then up at the house, he pondered whether he ought to follow, just to check that Lily was okay.  Surely she should have come back by now?

After another minute of indecision, Peter set off towards the back of the house.  He'd barely gone five paces when he heard a voice.

'Peter?'

Barely suppressing a yelp of surprise, Peter spun round.  Walking up the driveway towards him was Sirius' mother.  She peered curiously at Peter.

'What in Merlin's name are you doing here in the middle of the night?'

Much to Peter's relief, she didn't seem angry, just perplexed.

'I … erm … I was just passing by,' he said, smiling weakly.

Andromeda raised an eyebrow.

'Right,' she said slowly.  'All the way from Norfolk?  Did Sirius ask you to come over?'

Peter quickly shook his head.

'I just thought I'd drop by … t-to see how he's doing,' Peter offered in a cheerful tone.  'I haven't seen him for ages.'

Andromeda sighed, managing a tired smile.

'It's a nice thought, Peter, but now's really not a good time.'  She stepped up to the front door and took out her keys.  'Come inside, you can see him for a few minutes but I think your parents will be wondering where you are.  How did you get here?'

'Er … the Knight Bus,' said Peter, following her into the porch.

'Well, I'll see if I can produce a Portkey to take you home, that'll be a lot quicker – what's going on?'

Andromeda came to a sudden halt by the living room door.

'Ann, you're home,' said Richard coolly from his place in the armchair.  'Perfect timing.'  He leaned forward as Peter came up behind Andromeda.  'Oh, _another _one?  It's getting rather crowded in here.'

'Another one?  Richard, what's going on?'  Andromeda stepped into the room.

The first thing she saw was Sirius, James, Lily and Remus all seated on the couch, all of them looking pale and anxious.

'Come in and join us, Ann,' Richard indicated the armchair next to his.  'Your son was just about to provide an explanation for why his friends were breaking and entering into the house, and why he ran off today, regardless of being told that he was not to leave the house.'

Andromeda remained standing, her eyes fixed on her son's guilty face.

'Sirius?' she said coldly.  'What exactly is Richard talking about?'

Sirius clenched his sweating hands.

'Sirius?  Answer me.'

Sirius glanced up at his friends.  James and Remus especially were looking at him expectantly, hopefully.  Lily's words rang in his head; '_You have to tell your mum, she'll believe you, I'm sure she will,'_ Sirius acknowledged them with a small nod, and then looked over at Richard.

Richard's cold grey eyes were currently narrowed suspiciously, as though sensing what Sirius was planning to say.  Clearing his throat loudly, Richard stood up.

'Ursa, come along, you really ought to get back to bed.'

Ursa looked up from where she'd been sitting.  Unsuccessfully trying to suppress a yawn, she insisted that she wanted to stay up until she knew what was happening.  

'It has nothing to do with you,' Richard said firmly.  'Come on now, upstairs.'

At a pointed look from her mother, Ursa got up and Richard ushered her out of the living room and up the stairs.  Sirius watched them go, his stomach churning.

Andromeda folded her arms, turning her attention back to her son.

'Well?  Care to tell me what's going on?' 

'Mum … I – '

'Did you sneak out of the house?'  Andromeda cut across him.

'Mum, you never said I couldn't go out,' he said.  

Andromeda's face darkened.  

'But you left without Richard's permission?  Or mine?'

'I've never had to ask before,' said Sirius stubbornly.  'And why should I ask Richard?  He's not my father.'

'No, but doesn't mean you should treat him with any less respect,' she said sternly.  'He's responsible for you while I'm out; I trust him to take care of you and you deliberately make it difficult for him!  Honestly, I don't know what you thought you were doing.  Do you have any idea how much I'd have worried if you just disappeared like that?'

Sirius' face darkened.

'I'm sure Richard wouldn't have cared.'

'What makes you say that?' said Andromeda.

Sirius had barely opened his mouth when Richard walked back into the room.

'Did I miss anything?' he inquired, directing a cold smile in Sirius' direction. 

Sirius could feel his temper boiling up inside him again.  His mother was still waiting for an explanation.  Meeting her stare, Sirius took a chance.

'Mum, it's true I left the house to see my friends but when I came back, Richard … Richard hit me.'

Andromeda's expression shifted from the stern mask to a look of puzzlement.  

'What?'

'He hit me,' said Sirius, a little louder, a little more firmly.  'And he's done it before.'

From behind him, Sirius could hear James whisper, 'Good on you, Padfoot.'  Taking heart, Sirius continued.

'He nearly knocked me unconscious, banging my head on the window ledge.'

Andromeda's face contorted in shock, turning to face Richard, who assumed a mildly stern expression, seemingly unsurprised by the accusation.  He looked at Andromeda with a tired smile.

'He snuck back into the house through his window; he slipped and bumped his head,' he said blandly.  'I caught him coming back in … must have startled him … and now he blames me for his own carelessness.  I tried to help him but he was extremely uncooperative … I decided it best to wait for you to come home.  I'm aware we don't get along as well as I would like us to, but he point-blank refused any offers of assistance.'  He spread his hands helplessly.  'Not that a little bump really needed much attention, but the boy's intent on causing trouble, I fear.'

Sirius' face contorted in anger as his mother looked back at him disbelievingly.

'You liar!  Mum, he grabbed me and hit my head against the window ledge!  Look!'

Sirius lifted his hair and turned so that his mother could see.  Andromeda peered closely at the mark, and frowned, shaking her head.

'Sirius, that's hardly a scratch.'

'Prongs and Moony healed it,' he explained quickly.

'How convenient,' said Richard, his eyes narrowed.

'It's true!' said James, standing up.  He turned to Andromeda.  'Mrs. Black, what Sirius said is true.  Moony and I _did_ heal the wound.  It was really bad; there was blood everywhere and he kept falling unconscious.' 

'Sirius wrote to us to say he was hurt,' added Remus.

'But how did he do that without – ' she stopped abruptly, casting a nervous eye over to Richard.  She'd almost said 'an owl' by accident.  'How could he have done that?' she corrected herself hastily.

'He sent Cosmic with a letter,' said Remus in a low voice, hoping Richard wouldn't catch it.  'He wrote it in blood.  His own blood.'

Andromeda failed to be shocked by this.  She continued to look highly sceptical.

'And where _is_ this letter?'

James and Remus exchanged a look.

'We didn't bring it back with us,' James admitted.  'But – '

Andromeda sighed in exasperation.

'I don't believe this.'  She turned to Sirius once more.  'Sirius, what on earth were you playing at?'

'Mum, I'm not playing at anything!  Why don't you believe me?' he asked desperately.

'Because I think you're lying,' she answered him bluntly.  Sirius stared.  'I don't see _any_ proof whatsoever that these ridiculous accusations are true.'

Sirius stood there for a moment.  His brow furrowed in concentration.  Slowly he backed up towards the door.  

'Okay,' he said coldly.  'You want proof?  I can show you.' And he turned and stalked out of the room.

'Sirius, get back here!' said Andromeda.  But Sirius was already hurrying up the stairs.  'Sirius!'

Angrily, Andromeda stormed out of the room after him.

At the top of the stairs, Sirius waited for his mother to catch up.  Just before she could reach him, he turned and opened his bedroom door.  Striding across the room he went straight to his bed and reached for the pillow.  But abruptly he froze, a chill racing up his spine.

Andromeda entered the room behind him.

'Sirius, for goodness sake, what do you think you're doing now?'

Slowly, Sirius turned to look at his mother, his face drained of colour.

'It's gone,' he whispered, breathing heavily, eyes wide in shock.

'What's gone?' 

'The blood.'

_'What_ blood?' 

'The blood on my pillow!'  Sirius held up his pillow.  It was perfectly clean. The case was as white and crisp as it had been when it had last been washed.  Sirius' voice shook, a look of immense confusion on his equally white face.  'I don't understand – where's it gone?  It was here, it was _all _over the place!'

Andromeda stood with her hands on her hips, a very angry scowl on her face. 

'Sirius, I've had _enough_ of this.  You can stop this charade right now because, quite frankly, I'm getting heartily sick of it.  You've done nothing but cause trouble for Richard ever since you met him.  Now, you get back downstairs and apologise to him.' She pointed to the door.

Sirius stared blankly at her, still clutching the pillow.  His head was spinning.  But one thought cut through his confusion, the only one that made any kind of sense.  Eyes narrowing, Sirius stormed back out of the room and back downstairs.  He marched straight into the living room and threw the pillow in Richard's face.

'What the hell did you do?' he shouted.  'Swap it for a clean one?  Hiding the evidence are you?'

Richard didn't respond beyond a very angry scowl.  Slowly, he stood up, towering over Sirius, but Sirius refused to back off.

'You _git, what the **** did you do?_'  

'SIRIUS!'

Sirius spun round.  Andromeda had heard him loud and clear.  Her mouth hung open in shock, her face contorting with fury.

'How _dare_ you use such language,' she hissed furiously.  She strode across the room and slapped him round the face.  Sirius jerked back, putting a hand to his cheek.  A ringing silence fell.  Everyone seemed temporarily stunned.  James, Remus, Lily and Peter had all drawn back, each of them looking distinctly unsettled, not daring to intervene.  

No one said anything.  Sirius tenderly rubbed his cheek, finding himself unable to meet his mother's furious stare.  He could feel Richard's gaze on him too, along with a poorly concealed sense of victory.

Breathing heavily, Andromeda broke the silence.

'I am sick and tired of your lies, young man,' she said,  'and of your _appalling _behaviour.  Go to your room.  Now.'

Sirius' eyes widened.

'But Mum – '

'_Don't_ argue with me Sirius, just go!'

'But – '

_'Now!'_

Sirius stayed there for a moment. His pale blue eyes stared uncomprehendingly at his mother, darkened by hurt and confusion.

Abruptly, without another word, Sirius bolted.  His footsteps pounded up the stairs and his bedroom door slammed.

Breathing heavily through her nose, Andromeda ran a hand distractedly through her hair, and then turned to the Marauders, who were all silent, watching anxiously.

'You four can stay where you are,' said Andromeda coldly.  'I'm calling your parents right now.' And she strode out of the room.  

Richard cast the Marauders a steely smile as he sat back down, gesturing for them to do the same.

James and the others reluctantly sat.  It was going to be a long wait.

*

It didn't take long for all their parents to arrive.  None of them were in the best of moods, being called out to collect their children in the early hours of the morning.

Andromeda explained to them what had happened; that they had come over and snuck into the house on Sirius' insistence, trying to set Richard up in a cruel and malicious manner.  Needless to say, Richard kindly helped to fill in the details, while the Marauders could do nothing but listen to the lies that each of their parents accepted as the truth without question.

James' father had offered to take Lily home, but it didn't stop him being extremely angry with his son.  James didn't dare protest when his father declared him to be grounded.  James silently cursed himself for not being able to do anything to alleviate the situation.  But no one was prepared to listen to any of the sullen teenagers.

Remus' parents were deeply shocked and expressed their concern over the other teenagers influence.  Richard agreed wholeheartedly and promptly assured them all that Sirius would not be permitted to contact any of them for the rest of the summer.

'I agree,' said Ian Potter, giving his son a hard look.  'And the same goes for you, James.  I'll not have you meeting up with any of them if this is the kind of trouble you'll be getting yourself into.'

James merely nodded once, eyes on the floor.

Remus' heart sank as his mother, eyes full of concern, made it clear that she felt the same way.

'I'm sorry, Remus, but for the rest of the summer, I don't want you to see Sirius.'

'But Mum, please,' Remus tried to explain but his mother cut him off.

'Don't argue with me, Remus.  My decision is final.'

Reluctantly, Remus fell silent.

Mr. Pettigrew was in a furious temper when he arrived to collect his son.  Peter meekly left, no doubt expecting a similar punishment.

The Lupins left, apologising repeatedly to Andromeda, assuring her that Remus would not be allowed to see Sirius until he went back to Hogwarts.  Remus made a second valiant attempt to explain what had happened but his father reprimanded him sternly, and led his family off to catch the Knight Bus.

Mr. Potter paused on the doorstep, turning to Andromeda.

'I'm very sorry about this, Andromeda,' he said.  

'It's alright,' said Andromeda, sounding exhausted.  'I just don't know _what's_ gotten into Sirius lately.  He's been so difficult.'

'He's a teenager,' said Ian, like it explained everything.  He looked over his shoulder to where James stood waiting sullenly at the gate.  Ian turned back to Andromeda and lowered his voice.  'I know they don't really mean to cause so much trouble – '

'It just seems to happen an awful lot when those five are together,' Andromeda remarked curtly.

'Yes, well, I do think it's a bit harsh to cut them off from each other for the rest of the summer,' Ian gave a small smile.  'If it's okay with you, maybe they could still write to each other … not for a while of course,' he added hastily, seeing Andromeda's frown.  'Once they've learnt their lesson, I mean.'

'Once they've learnt their lesson,' she said firmly.  'Though in Sirius' case, that could be a very long time indeed.'

Ian nodded sadly, apologised once more, and left.  James looked back at the house with a deep sense of regret as they walked away.

'I'm sorry,' he whispered bitterly to the cold night air.  

*

Sirius lay on his bed, curled up under the duvet, listening with a heavy heart to his mother continuing to rant and rave downstairs with Richard.  Richard's sickeningly reassurance made Sirius want to vomit.  Eventually, Richard succeeded in calming Andromeda down and they came upstairs. 

Fighting back tears of fury, Sirius shifted about restlessly, wrapping the duvet tightly around him.

Everything seemed to crash down on him at that moment.  Nothing had gone right at all.  He'd taken a big chance in telling his mother … and she hadn't believed him.  Not that that should have surprised him, but Sirius couldn't deny the hope he'd built up inside him that once she knew, Richard would be out the door and they'd never see him again.

Hope was cruel.  Always having the knack of keeping what you wanted just out of reach.  It wasn't fair, and now Sirius was right back where he'd started.

Shaking, Sirius squeezed his eyes shut against the constant waves of depressing realisation and damning self-blame.  

He lay there feeling horribly sick, wondering what was going to happen next, when he abruptly got his answer.

Heavy footsteps were coming down the passage.  Sirius opened his eyes and froze.  The footsteps paused outside his door.

Ever so slowly, Sirius rolled over.  He watched with mounting fear as the door handle turned.

As Richard silently came into the room and closed the door, Sirius braced himself.  He closed his eyes, wishing for Richard to hurry up, to get it over with.

A few moments passed.

Fearfully, Sirius opened his eyes.

Richard was standing right by the bed, arms folded with a cruel gleam in his eyes.  Sirius could feel his heart pounding, wondering what Richard was planning on doing this time.  Richard smiled.

'You did a _very_ stupid thing downstairs,' he said softly.  'Didn't you?'

Sirius slowly nodded.

'I've given you several chances, Sirius.  You're a fool not to have taken them.'  Richard slowly lowered himself onto the bed.  Sirius didn't dare move as Richard put his face close to his.  'Such a shame that your mother didn't believe you … I wonder why that is?  Not the most honest of children, are you, Sirius?  So undisciplined.'

Sirius tried to wipe the sweat from his palms under the duvet without being too obvious about it.

'I hardly need to tell you what that entails, do I?'

Sirius shook his head.

Richard's smile broadened.

'Well … maybe I ought to explain the rules a bit more thoroughly,' he went on.  'If you are so insistent on causing trouble, then clearly punishing you will not do any good.'

Sirius frowned.  What did he mean by that?  He did not like the look in Richard's eyes one little bit.

'So from now on, every time you cross the line, someone else will take your punishment for you.'

Sirius' eyes widened.

'No,' he whispered.  'Please – '

'Ursa's such a sweet little girl,' said Richard, like he hadn't heard Sirius.  'It's so nice the way you care about her.  She likes you, I'm sure you're aware.  She looks up to you; her wonderful elder brother.  You'd never wish her harm, would you, Sirius?'

Sirius fervently shook his head.

Richard's smile never wavered.

'That's good to know.' And with that, he rose from the bed and left the room.

Shaking more than he had been before, Sirius sank back down onto the bed.  He rolled over onto his side, burying his face into the duvet.  Anything to muffle the choked sobs of bitter defeat.

*****

**To Be Continued.**

*

**Please review.  All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.  **

*

**Author's Notes. **

Many thanks to my Beta, Lil Lupin, who kindly helped me out with the Latin phrasing.  I hope you feel better soon!

**NightSpear – **Phew! I was worried that Sirius might not have been reacted appropriately when it came to telling his friends what was going on.  I did feel he shouldn't be too open about it, and hesitant.  Anger was understandable, it was just bringing everything together.  I wrote that part a couple of times before I felt I had it right; good to see it was worth the effort.  ^_^

You thought I was mean last chapter?  I'll bet you'll say worse now that you've read this!  I do feel guilty; honestly!  

**WallyTheWhale – **What do you mean you don't like Richard?  I had no idea you felt that way!  *evil cackle*  It totally escaped my notice.

That did make sense, so you have yet to screw it up.  I had to make it awkward for him since that kind of situation is anything but easy.  It's hard for some people to get past what they see as a weakness, when they really need to ask for help.  I'm aware that Sirius 'snapping' was rather sudden, but then small things can push people just that little bit too far, and Vernon smacking him around the face kinda jolted Sirius' memory of Richard beating him, and he reacted without thinking.  Fighting back made him feel that he wasn't powerless and weak, but then Sirius found it difficult to stop.

You will get to see Mrs. Fennel again in a few more chapters, don't worry.  And yes, the 'waiter' was Remus.  I don't explain it plainly, but if you do re-read the chapter, it might seem a little more obvious. ^_^  

Writing an SOS message in your blood; yep, very morbid.  My Beta, I seem to recall, thought it disgusting.  I totally agree!  As I was writing that part I remembered suddenly that I'd had all of Sirius' stuff locked away.  Problem.  So I got away with a scrap of paper and an old quill laying around in his messy room, but having ink there as well just felt too convenient.  'What can he use instead of ink?' I asked myself, and then found myself writing Sirius using his own blood – he had a seeping wound, it seemed like a good idea at the time.  Although once I'd finished it, I read it over thinking 'Urgh, that's actually quite disturbing.'  Seriously, I couldn't believe I'd written it.  It's definably the darkest piece of literature that I've ever done.

And I feel I'd better apologise for Andromeda's reaction now, cause I know for a fact you will not have been impressed by it.  But she honestly can't see any proof to Sirius' claims and I think you'll agree that Richard has something of an influence on her. 

**Christy – **Yes, I did name Lily's cat for the goddess, who I've read as being sometimes perceived as a chaos goddess; which might give an indication of what the cat is like!  ^_^   I guess Petunia was originally lured to Vernon by the money, but she does like him.  Nasty as they are, they suit each other.

Hmm, I think it's safer to have your friends mad at you and willing to help rather than them believing everything is fine and you suffering alone.  The best friends are those who get worked up because you didn't share a problem with them sooner.

Ah, the blood ink thing again.  Everyone agrees that that was morbid.  Scaring your friends into action was an added bonus.  Shame Prongs and Moony neglected to bring the note with them, then they might have had some solid evidence to wave under Andromeda's nose.  Just don't think about those sensible things when you're racing to someone's rescue.  So, you got your wish, the Marauder's came riding to the rescue; it just failed to work out.  

**Semmel – **The truth always comes out sooner or later. And about time, in this case.  Yes, alright already; I feel guilty!  I did not like doing that to Sirius, but it had to happen, it's a story about abuse so it's not going to be easy on any of the characters.  I'd read Dave Pelzer's autobiographic-story "A Child Called 'It'" a while before I started playing around with the idea for this fic and that had a lot of influence.  It's heart-wrenching and I steadfastly refused to go easy with such a harsh topic.  It's very real and affects far too many people.   That's part of the reason why the rescue attempt failed.  It's very hard to escape, physically and mentally, from an abusive situation. So, no Richard-torture here I'm sorry to say. Can it get any worse?  There's still another seven chapters to go, don't forget.

**Aqua-Hime – **I think Sirius has the sympathy vote from everyone by now. *sniff*  Glad you like the fic so far, I'm sure you'll like the rest of it.  I'm afraid this fic won't tie in with what we know of Sirius' childhood from book 5.  I was literally finishing off the final chapter when book 5 was released so there were obviously going to be major differences between my ideas and JK Rowling's.  I might have been able to amend the fic to tie in with Order of the Phoenix, but I was happy with it the way it was.  Still, you wouldn't blame Sirius if he did move out; I think he's got every reason to.


	14. The Feng Huang

**Chapter Fourteen: The Feng Huang.  **

'Sirius?'

Ursa tapped lightly on the bedroom door, one ear inclined, listening for any sound from inside the room.

'Sirius, are you okay?'

There was no answer.  Ursa sighed and looked down at the cat sitting beside the door like a sentry.  Cosmic mewed, staring hard at the door. 

It had been several days since the Marauders had shown up. Since then, Sirius had all but cut himself off from everybody.  Confining himself to his room all day, the only time he ever came out was to use the bathroom or to go down to the kitchen, and even then he barely said a word, eating in silence, and dutifully cleaning up before returning to his bedroom.

This self-imposed isolation had Ursa deeply concerned.  This silent, miserable figure was little more than a ghost of the Sirius he used to be.  He hadn't said a word for at least three days.

Determination born out of anxiety drove Ursa to try everything she could think of to get some kind of response from Sirius, but to no avail.  No matter how many times she knocked, talked to him through the door, and even stuck her head out of her bedroom window in the hopes of getting Sirius to come to his own, he simply refused to acknowledge her.  The curtains stayed drawn and he never said a word.

Even Cosmic was unable to get through to him.  The window stayed shut and the few times that Cosmic had managed to slip inside when Sirius emerged briefly to go the bathroom, Sirius promptly put the cat back outside, shutting the door on him, something which the little animal was having a hard time understanding.  Cosmic sat by the door all day long and refused to leave.  The wood bore claw marks where the cat had vented his frustrations the day before.

Ursa knelt down beside the cat, stroking his silky fur.

'Don't suppose you know why he's doing this, do you?' she asked softly.

The cat only blinked up at her, then turned to stare at the door again.

'Ursa.'

Ursa looked up.  Andromeda was standing at the top of the stairs.

'He still won't talk to me,' said Ursa sadly as she stood up.

Her mother gave an irate sigh.

'I've already told you, Ursa, if Sirius is determined to keep up this silly behaviour then you shouldn't encourage him by trying to get a response,' she said firmly.  'Just leave him.  He'll come out eventually.'

Ursa nodded glumly, following her mother downstairs.  Andromeda wasn't impressed by Sirius' decision to detach himself from the rest of the family, and she clearly wasn't in any hurry to coax him back.

Ursa went into the kitchen.  Richard was sitting at the table, reading the newspaper.  He looked up at her and smiled.

'Good morning, Ursa,' he said.

'Morning,' was the gloomy reply.  Ursa silently made herself a bowl of cereal, sat down opposite Richard and started eating with about as much enthusiasm as any Hogwarts student at the start of an hour-long History of Magic lesson.

'Ursa, are you alright?  You seem rather down lately,' said Richard, putting down the newspaper.

Ursa slowly looked up from her breakfast.  Richard's kind face watched her from across the table.  

'I'm okay,' she said, her voice toneless.

'Oh, come now, there must be something wrong,' Richard insisted gently.

Ursa didn't say anything for a moment.  She sighed, putting her spoon back in the bowl.

'It's Sirius … he won't talk to me.'

Richard sighed heavily, the ghost of a smile flitting across his face.

'Well, there's no need to be so down about that.  Sirius has to learn to follow rules … learn a bit of discipline … as soon as he learns his lesson I'm sure he'll speak to you again.'

'But _why_ won't he talk to me?'  Ursa's eyes were wide and confused.  'What did _I _do?'

'You didn't do anything wrong, sweetie,' said Richard firmly.  'I'm sure Sirius just needs some solitude for a while … to think about what he's done.  He has to realise that he needs to take responsibility for his actions, and if he can't take the consequences … well, he needs to figure out the limits for himself and that's going to take a bit of time.  Now cheer up.  Don't let him get you down.'

Ursa just looked at him.

Richard continued to smile.

Ursa dropped her gaze to her cereal.  It had gone soggy and looked even less appetising than when she had served it.  Sullenly, Ursa got up.

'Aren't you going to finish that?' asked Richard.

'Not hungry.'

Without another word, Ursa left the kitchen.  Back upstairs, she paused briefly outside Sirius' room, but when there was no sound from inside, she carried on down the hall to her room.

She sat down on the bed, thinking.  Half-heartedly, she reached for the book on her bedside table.   She absentmindedly flipped through the pages, but she soon put it back down.  She didn't want to read and she didn't feel like meeting up with Bethany. 

She got up and went to the window.  The wind tousled her hair playfully as she stuck her head out, peering hopefully towards her brother's window.  The curtains were still drawn.  Her heart sank.  This was the fourth day; surely he couldn't keep this up much longer?

Ursa retreated back into the room and went to the wall that divided her room from her brother's.  Pressing an ear to the wall, she heard very little; there were a few faint noises of movement but nothing more than that.

Suddenly there came a knock on her door.  Jerking away from the wall, Ursa turned as Richard's voice called, 'Ursa?  May I come in?' He opened the door and stuck his head in.

Ursa sat back down on the edge of the bed.  Reaching behind her for something to hold, her hand brushed over a soft toy.  Pulling it into her lap, she realised that it was her panda; the one Sirius had won for her earlier that summer.  Richard paused, eyeing the toy disapprovingly before coming over to sit beside her.  He sank onto the mattress.

Ursa held the panda close, ignoring him.

'Ursa.'

Tentatively, she watched him out of the corner of her eyes.  The beaming smile seemed slightly strained, but the tone of his voice remained as jolly as it always had been.

'Come on, now, there's no need for all this.  It's a lovely day outside.  Why don't you come with your mother and I to the park?  Get out in the fresh air.  It'll do you good.'  He gestured to the window.  The clear blue sky outside, alight with warm sunshine, did indeed look inviting.  Ursa ran a hand over the soft fur of her panda.  Some of the glitter rubbed off on her hands.  She stared at it morosely. 

'Can Sirius come too?'

Richard's face worked hard to keep that benign smile in place.

'Sirius is not invited,' he said in a pleasant but firm tone.  'When he starts acting like an adult, he will be treated as such.' 

'He's lonely,' said Ursa softly, more to herself than to Richard.  The panda's glass eyes gazed blankly up at her.

'That's his own fault,' said Richard. 'No one's forcing him to stay in his room.  He's free to come and join us whenever he chooses.  Clearly his choice is to stay away.'

'But … I don't understand why.  He's never been like this before.  Ever.  I've tried to get him to talk to me but he won't answer.'

'Don't go running after him, Ursa,' Richard said sternly.  'Don't go enticing him back before he's learnt his lesson.  If he breaks rules, he has to be punished for it.'

Ursa looked up at Richard, holding the panda close, wanting to ask which rules Sirius had broken exactly.  It had never been a problem before for Sirius to go off to visit his friends.  They all lived pretty far away so their mother gave him some leeway with curfews; why did Richard deem it necessary to change the rules?

Ursa frowned, gazing up into Richard's kindly face.  His expression was pleasant enough, but it was as though the smile couldn't quite reach his eyes.  Something wasn't right, and she knew it.

'Tell you what,' said Richard, draping an arm round her shoulders.  'I'll treat you to an ice cream; how's that?'

Ursa considered.  An ice cream sounded particularly nice.  She adored ice cream.  Her mouth started watering at the very thought.

'A chocolate one?' she asked softly, knowing how Richard disproved of sweet things.  'With a flake?'

'And sprinkles if you want.' Richard was positively beaming.  'Come on, let's find your mother.  I'm sure she'd love one, too.'

Forcing a small smile, Ursa hesitantly took the hand he offered her.

*

Rolling onto his back, Sirius stared up at the ceiling.  The room was nicely shaded, but very warm and stuffy. The window hadn't been opened since yesterday.  The air was stale.

The thought of going downstairs for a glass of water played on his mind, but he pushed the thought aside.

What was the point?

He couldn't seem do anything without getting into trouble.  

It hadn't mattered so much when he'd been the one to get punished for it.  Now it was different.  A new set of rules had been lain down; rules that Sirius had no intention of breaking.

Sirius had lost count of the number of times that Ursa had tapped on the door, whispering to him.  He never answered in the hope that she'd give up.  It was better for her if she stayed away.  So long as he wasn't in a position where he might break a rule, then she would be safe.  It made sense.

Nevertheless, it was terribly lonely.  It had taken a lot of self-control not to open up the window just to tell her … what?  To leave him alone?  That he was okay?  

No. He couldn't.  You had to play by the rules to win the game.  Or, in this case, to keep another player safe.  It was like a bad game of chess where the other player has captured all your most powerful pieces, leaving you with only a few pawns whilst gleefully cornering your king.

'Stalemate.' Sirius sighed ruefully.  

What was he supposed to do?  

Rolling back onto his front, he shifted about, trying to find a comfortable position without much success.  Lying around for several days with little to do was doing nothing to help alleviate his worries and his boredom.  If anything, it only served to increase them both.

His mother hadn't made much of an effort to talk to him, and Sirius certainly didn't want to talk to her.  Dwelling on the events of that night, Sirius found himself feeling more and more resentful towards her.  It was so unfair; why wouldn't she believe her own son?  Sirius scowled into the pillow, clenching his fists.   He'd told her the truth and she point-blank refused to believe him; but, oh no, she'd rather believe that pig-headed Muggle of a boyfriend.  Why in Merlin's name was Richard more worthy of her trust?  He was nothing but a two-faced, lying, sadistic bully who deserved to be thrown into a pit of starving Quintapeds.  Or given as a chew toy to a litter of Manticore cubs.  Or be made to poke a sleeping Hungarian Horntail dragon in the eye.

Sirius let out a ragged breath and slumped. It was all very well imaging all manner of satisfying tortures for the live-in tyrant, but Sirius' head was pounding and he was only succeeding in working himself up thinking about Richard so much.  It was not helping his depression, and yet, it was as though a part him didn't want to come out of it.  Everyone else was leaving him well alone.  The solitude had a certain comforting predisposition about it that allowed him to wallow in self-despair undisturbed.  It was peaceful; in a depressing sort of way.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius glanced up at the window at the pale blue sky, devoid of owls baring letters.  Not a single communication had passed between the Marauders since that night.  Each of them cut off from the others, and no one willing to believe them.  Sirius could feel the anger building rapidly again inside him, like a storm trying to break free.  Why are adults so blind, Sirius thought bitterly; they're never prepared to accept a _child's _testimony on anything serious.  That's all we are to them, and all we ever shall be – _children; _irresponsible troublemakers who make up lies and cause no end of trouble.  

Sirius practically flung himself over onto his back, glaring darkly up at the ceiling.  Like a receding wave, the anger slowly drained away, replaced once more by the miserable state of mind that had settled on him like a dead weight.  

From outside the window, a bird chirped happily, fluttering past the window.  Sirius watched it go, wishing more than anything that he could find a way out of this mess, anything to break free of the never-ending circle of secrets and lies.  He closed his eyes, wanting to sleep though he wasn't tired.  

Suddenly, he heard sounds coming from the hallway.  Sirius frowned and opened his eyes.  Lifting his head, squinting at the door.  Rolling over onto his side, Sirius concentrated and transformed into his Animagus form, Padfoot, and swivelled his large ears towards the door.  But too late; three pairs of feet could be heard walking out the front door and it shut firmly behind them.  

A low whine escaped his throat.  Sirius lay his head back down.  He couldn't be bothered to change back.  He didn't feel much like doing anything at all.  So what if everyone else had gone out without saying to him; he really didn't care.

But Sirius couldn't completely suppress the horrible feeling of loneliness welling up inside.  

A plaintive yowl sounded.  Startled, Sirius jerked his head up and winced.  It was horribly loud.  The sounds of furious scratching at the door accompanied the yowling.  Sirius turned his head to the sound and growled.

There was a pause.

_Scratch - scratch - scratch - scratch!_

Sirius wearily lay back down and tried to put his paws over his ears.  But that didn't work. 

_Scratch – scratch – scratch – scratch!_

_If he keeps that up, he's going to wear a hole in the door,_ Sirius mused.  His mother's scowling face flashed in front of his eyes.  Sighing in defeat, Sirius stood up and stepped down from the bed, padding across the room on his four large paws.

The scratching stopped as soon as he reached the door.  He stood there for a moment.  The cat was perfectly silent.  As soon as Sirius turned to go back to bed, however, Cosmic let out a mournful cry.

A stab of guilt made Sirius pause.  The cry sounded again.  Ever so slowly, Sirius turned to look back at the door.  He knew Cosmic had been sitting outside his door all day and night for the past few days.  The cat stubbornly refused to go away.  He always knew when Sirius felt lonely and need of company.  This was one of those times.

Sirius stayed where he was, caught up in indecisiveness. Then, hesitantly, he went back to the door and raised a huge paw.  He caught the handle, and the door swung open.

The little black cat was weaving between his front legs in an instant. Cosmic purred happily.  Inwardly, Sirius smiled, and, because he was a dog, he couldn't help but smile outwardly too.   Lowering his long muzzle, Sirius nuzzled Cosmic gently as the cat rubbed up against him.  

To Sirius' surprise, Cosmic suddenly darted away.  Sirius couldn't help but feel hurt at the abrupt abandonment, but Cosmic didn't run far.  Pausing at the top of the stairs, the cat looked back at Sirius, mewed, and then sprang down the stairs.

Sirius hesitated.  Then he recalled that there was no one else was in the house.  No one was around to see Padfoot roaming around.  Besides, Sirius was hungry.

Concentrating on not tripping over his huge paws, Sirius cautiously made his way down the staircase.  It was a strange sensation going down the stairs headfirst.  At the foot of the stairs, Sirius looked about him with satisfaction.  There was no one to tell him what he should or shouldn't be doing.  He was free; for a short while at least.  His tongue lolling out of his mouth and his tail suddenly wagging furiously, Sirius bounded down the hallway and into the kitchen.

Transforming back to human, Sirius helped himself to some fruit out of the bowl on the sideboard, a packet of crisps and a small carton of fruit juice from the fridge.  Taking a few biscuits from the tin, Sirius thought it might be a good idea to take some food up to his room, that way he wouldn't have to come downstairs so often.  Putting a few supplies into a bag, he was just about to leave the kitchen when Cosmic dove in front of him.  Almost tripping over him, Sirius stumbled backwards.

'Cosmic, watch it!'

The cat emitted a deep-throated growl, stalking past him.  Sirius stared.  Cosmic had never growled at him like that before. Curiously, Sirius watched as Cosmic went straight to the largest cupboard and proceeded to pace up and down in front of it.  Blinking his great green eyes up at Sirius, Cosmic swished his long tail impatiently.

Sirius frowned.

'I can't open that,' he said grimly.

Cosmic voiced his disagreement with a snarling hiss, showing his teeth.

'I _can't_,' Sirius insisted.

Cosmic's eyes narrowed.  He turned a few circles, then looked back up at Sirius.

Sirius was completely baffled.

'_What's_ the matter with you?'

Seeing his master's lack of understanding, Cosmic went right up to the cupboard and touched his nose to it.

'What?  You smell something down there?' asked Sirius in a dismissive tone.  'That's nothing new.'

But the cat kept at it, glancing back up at him repeatedly.

Putting the food back down on the table, Sirius crouched and transformed into Padfoot once more.  If Cosmic could smell something odd, then Padfoot would certainly be able to detect it.  Raising his nose, Sirius sniffed, fearing for a moment, that he might catch the stench of smoke on the air.

A nasty, yet familiar, smell shot up his nose.  Snorting in disgust, Sirius recognised it in an instant.  Richard.

Strange.  Richard's scent was oddly strong, like he'd spent an awful lot of time in here.  Part of the scent seemed stale but was clearly spread throughout the room.

Sirius concentrated, working to make sense of what his dog instincts were telling him.  The answer was as perplexing as the question.

Richard's scent was everywhere; not simply on the chairs or on the door handles and across the floor, but _everywhere_.  The walls had been touched, the windowsills, along the base of the wall, in every corner, even the ceiling had a few traces …

Feeling increasingly unsettled Sirius turned and trotted into the hall.  Detecting the same scent in moments, he reached the same conclusion.  Richard's scent was everywhere a normal scent shouldn't be.  The scents of his mother and sister were intermingled with his, but they didn't touch half the objects Richard's did.

What to make of it?

Cosmic's mewling called from the kitchen.  He was still poised by the cupboard.  Sirius stood for a moment, staring at it.  Richard's scent wasn't strong on it, but it was worryingly close, brushing over it several times.

No.  What reason did Richard have to open that cupboard?  It was full of cleaning things like the disinfectant, perfectly ordinary Muggle stuff.  There was no cause for concern, surely.

But then what of Cosmic's behaviour?

Sirius growled in sheer frustration.  _What are you trying to say? _He wanted to ask the cat.  _I – don't – understand.  He can't know about that.  How could he?  He's a Muggle.  So what, he stinks, I know that already._

It was a coincidence, that's all it was. 

Cosmic suddenly sat bolt upright, ears pricked.  Screeching loudly, he bolted past Sirius and into the hallway.  Startled, Sirius suddenly caught the noise that had alerted his cat.  Footsteps upon the path, coming towards the house.

Snatching the food bag up in his jaws, Sirius ran out off the kitchen, past Cosmic who was lingering by the front door, and bounded up the stairs.  Cosmic followed, his sleek body springing lightly up the stairs.

Sirius shouldered his bedroom door open, dropped the bag, transformed and shut the door as Cosmic slipped inside, closing it at the exact same moment the front door opened.

Listening intently, pressing an ear to the door, Sirius felt very relieved when no one made any move to come upstairs.  His mother and sister hadn't noticed anything, nor apparently had Richard.  Breathing a sigh of relief, Sirius stowed his supplies away under the bed.  Opening the curtains, Sirius slid the window up a little, just enough to allow a light breeze into the room.  The cool air blew pleasantly across his face as he lay back on the bed.

Cosmic curled up beside up him, purring the appreciation of Sirius' gentle strokes.  He didn't object as Sirius finally reached over to draw the cat up onto his chest, holding the little animal close.  Cosmic's purrs rumbled loudly with content.

Some time later Sirius heard someone outside the door.  He didn't say anything, silently willing her to leave.  He'd relented enough by allowing Cosmic back in, but Ursa was another matter.

Yet Ursa didn't even try knocking on the door this time.  After a few moments came the sounds of rustling paper.  A folded piece of paper appeared from under the door.  Light footsteps receded down the landing as she returned to her room.

Cosmic sprang off the bed and retrieved the note, picking it up with his teeth.  Curiosity getting the better of him, Sirius accepted the note and unfolded it.  Clearly torn from a Muggle notebook, the paper had been scribbled on in pencil, Ursa's handwriting wavering with the use of an unfamiliar tool.

_Siri,  _

_I hope you're okay.  I know you probably don't want to talk to me still, even if I don't understand why, but I need to tell you that we're going out to dinner tonight.  That includes you.  Richard's taking us out.  He says it's important for all of us to be there so Mum wants you to come.  It's smart dress only. We're going at seven.  Please come._

_Miss you.   _

_Ursa._

*

At ten to seven that evening, Sirius emerged from his bedroom wearing his best black Muggle suit, to the mild surprise of his mother.  Feeling immensely awkward, Sirius nevertheless felt relieved when she greeted him with a smile, no matter how small.  However, her smile was nothing compared to her appearance.  Dressed in a red sequenced dress with her long dark hair done up in a neat bun, Andromeda looked stunning.  

Ursa was wearing a pale purple dress.  She offered Sirius a tentative smile as they gathered in the hallway, waiting for Richard to arrive.  Sirius tried to keep his eyes on the floor, keeping the wall up between them.  Aside from the initial smile from his mother, Sirius didn't look at her either.   He was still feeling too resentful to forgive her, but he didn't want another argument so he kept quiet.  Disappointed, Ursa was nevertheless glad of his presence.  When Richard rang the doorbell she hung back, moving to stand beside Sirius.  

Dressed in a black dinner suit, Richard launched into a seemingly endless stream of compliments for Andromeda.  She blushed, beaming with delight at the flattery.  Ursa politely thanked Richard for commenting on how pretty and grown up she looked.  Sirius didn't say anything, though Richard cast a glance in his direction, only just acknowledging his presence.  Sirius was quite sure that Richard hadn't really expected for him to come along.

They stepped outside and, instead of Richard's horrible beige Volkswagen, found a shiny limousine waiting for them.

Andromeda's jaw dropped.  Ursa squealed in surprise.  Smiling, Richard smoothly took Andromeda's arm and led her to the car, the chauffer promptly opening the door for them.

_Where are we going, the Ritz? _Sirius wondered, trying not to stare at the limo as he climbed in after Ursa.

The journey was very comfortable.  The seats were soft and the whole interior smelt pleasantly of vanilla, no doubt there were air fresheners hidden away somewhere.  Richard sat with one arm around Andromeda's waist, looking very smug.  Sirius sat next to the window, watching the scenery roll past.  He could feel Ursa's questioning gaze on him but didn't look.

Sirius pondered vaguely why Richard had wanted him to come.  If he were simply looking for an excuse to punish him, he wouldn't go through so much trouble.  No, there had to be some other reason.  To be honest, Sirius wished he could have stayed home and had an evening with the house to himself, and away from Richard.  But something was going on and he wanted to find out what.  He needed to know.

Sirius' musings were brought to a halt as the limousine turned into a large car park and pulled up outside a large and beautiful oriental-style building.

The chauffer hopped out of the car to open their doors.  Sirius promptly opened his own door and got out, rather than following his mother and Richard.  Catching up with them, Sirius duly noted the stern look Richard gave him as they started up the path.

Glowing lanterns were hung over the pathway, lighting the ground in soft pinks and yellows, guiding them to the entrance.  A sign written in flowing golden letters named the establishment as _The Feng Huang_, its name in Chinese written beneath it.

Stepping over the threshold they were immediately greeted by a short Asian man in a royal-blue kimono, his assistant swiftly helping them take off their coats.

'Welcome to the Feng Huang,' said the man, bowing deeply.  'How may I be of service?'

'Table for four,' said Richard. 'Booked for seven-thirty.'

'Yes, of course, sir,' said the man, consulting a large book.  He summoned a very pretty waitress in a scarlet kimono to take them to their table.  She bowed politely.

'Right this way please,' she smiled, leading them out of the little foyer and into the main dining area.

The large room was lit by a multitude of Chinese lanterns hanging from the ceiling, which was exquisitely decorated with golden oriental patterns.  Each of the tables were neatly laid, the crystal glasses sparkling with the light.  The guests were clearly enjoying their meals while listening to the soothing music being played by the small orchestra on the far side of the room.  The sweet melody sung by the young Asian girl was accompanied by the gentle sounds of a harp, flute, violin and bells.

The waitress showed them to their table.  It was by the wall, partially separated from those around it by large dragon-patterned screens.

Ever the gentleman, Richard pulled out Andromeda's chair for her.  Ursa quickly took the seat next to Richard, thereby leaving Sirius with the one furthest from Richard.  Sirius gave her a small nod of thanks.  Ursa smiled grimly.  It seemed that she had also sensed that something was up.

Andromeda was still in awe of the lovely restaurant.

'Richard, it's beautiful,' she sighed breathlessly, gazing about the room.  'This must be costing you an absolute fortune, surely?  I really feel I ought to contribute – '

'Ah ah,' Richard wagged a finger at her, smiling serenely.  'It's my treat, Ann.  Don't worry about prices, my dear … you just chose whatever you want and enjoy it.'

Andromeda gazed adoringly at him as he gently took her hand and kissed it.  Sirius scowled darkly and hid his face behind a menu.

Ursa was scanning the menu, frowning.

'What's Abalone soup?' she asked curiously.

'Er …' Richard picked up a menu to take a look.  'It's … er …'

'It's usually got a combination of fish, ham and chicken in it.' 

Richard, Andromeda and Ursa looked over at Sirius, but he determinedly kept his eyes focused on his own menu.

'You probably won't like it, Ursa,' he said tonelessly.  'It's got red peppers and celery in it.  The Chop Suey's nice; that's got prawns in it.'

Ursa's face lit up.

'Mum, can I have the Chop Suey?' she asked eagerly.

'Well … if that's what you want.' Andromeda was still watching Sirius but he didn't look up.  'Sirius, what are you going to have?' she said, her tone surprisingly gentle.

Lifting his head slightly, Sirius almost met her eyes.  The waitress returned at that moment, notepad in hand.

'May I take your order?' She smiled.

Andromeda nodded then turned to Sirius.

'Sirius?

'The Chicken Chow Mein, please,' he said politely.

The waitress wrote down their orders; Ursa firmly decided on Chop Suey and Andromeda feeling brave enough to try the crab.  Richard, after much indecision and puzzlement as to what the dishes contained, opted for Hoi Sin Chicken.  

While they waited for their meals, Sirius looked around at the wall paintings.  His eyes were soon drawn to the wall just behind him.

A wondrous bird had been painted there; its red and gold plumage gleaming by the light of the table lantern.  The tail was like that of a peacock's, long and vibrant, shimmering in all the colours of the rainbow.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius could see Ursa admiring it too.

'It's a Feng Huang,' Sirius whispered.  Ursa's eyes snapped round to look up at him, her face brightening.  'It's sort of the Chinese equivalent of a phoenix.'

'It's pretty,' said Ursa softly.  She looked anxious, as though afraid of saying something that might drive Sirius back into his shell again.  As it was, Sirius still wasn't sure if it was a good idea to talk with her again.  She had no idea what danger there was involved in associating with him, especially with Richard watching.  Feeling that he may have said too much already, Sirius returned his attention to the bird.  Ursa's face fell and they lapsed into silence.

Two waitresses returned with their meals.  Sirius busied himself with learning to master the art of using chopsticks.  Ursa imitated him as best she could, but gave up after a while and reverted to a knife and fork, wolfing down her Chop Suey.  Richard and Andromeda happily consumed their own meals, engaging in conversation that Sirius took very little notice of.

That is, until they'd finished their dinner. 

The waitresses returned soon after they'd finished their meals, clearing the dirty plates away.  One stayed to inquire as to what they'd like for dessert, offering them the menus.

Eagerly, Ursa read through the list, eyeing each of the small photographs depicting each dish.

'Lychees?' she exclaimed, brow furrowed.  'Aren't those bloodsucking slugs?'

Andromeda snorted with laughter, covering her mouth quickly with her hand. Even the waitress cracked a smile.  Sirius sniggered.

'That's _leeches_, silly.' He laughed, looking down at the menu.  'Lychees are fruits.'

'Oh.' Embarrassed, Ursa kept her eyes down, then sheepishly asked; 'May I have the strawberry sorbet, please?'

'Good idea, stick with what you know.' Sirius grinned, feeling decisively more cheerful than he had in a long time.  'But I'll think I'll give the lychees and mandarin ice a chance.  I'll let you know if I find any slugs.'

'Oh, very funny,' said Ursa, her face pink.

'I'll have the almond junket, please,' said Andromeda, still smiling.  She turned to Richard.  'What would you like, Richard?'

Richard's grey eyes blinked slowly at her, a warm smile gracing his face.

'I'll tell you what I'd like,' he said softly.  He stood up.  Puzzled, Sirius, Ursa and Andromeda watched as Richard nodded to the waitress.  She gave a nod of understanding and hurried away.  Richard cleared his throat, looking rather nervous all of a sudden.  Gently, he took Andromeda's hand.

'Ann … I know we haven't known each other all that long, but I feel as if I've known you for ever.  I'd never believed in love at first sight before and you've proved to me that it does exist.' Swallowing, Richard gazed into Andromeda's eyes.  'I really hope I haven't rushed you but …'  

There was an audible gasp of surprise and delight from around the room as Richard slowly went down on one knee.  Andromeda put a hand over her heart, eyes wide.  She seemed to have forgotten how to breathe properly.  Richard smoothly drew a small box from inside his dinner jacket, holding it delicately.

'You asked me what I'd like?' he said softly.  'I'd like very much for you to be my wife … Ann, will you marry me?'

Andromeda managed a small gasp as Richard opened up the little box.  Inside was a beautiful ring, a slender band of shining gold with a sparkling diamond.

The entire room was silent.  The orchestra had stopped playing, the waitress watching from beside the young singer.  The other guests had turned in their seats, trying not to be so obvious about it but failing.  The manager stood at the entrance, simply beaming.

Nervously, Richard held out the ring.

'Er … if it's too soon, I can wait,' he said, hesitating.  

Andromeda finally recalled how to breathe, and with that, her ability to speak.  Her eyes tearing up, her face broke out in a joyous smile.

'Yes,' she managed to squeak, nodding.  'I accept.'

'Really?'  Richard's face lit up, almost cautiously, as though afraid he'd misheard.  

'Yes!  I'd love to.' 

With a happy cry, Richard wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.  Andromeda blissfully kissed him back; oblivious to the wild cheering that broke out, the guests clapping with delight.  The orchestra began to play once more, a spirited song filling the air.  Pulling apart, Richard carefully took the ring and slid it onto Andromeda's slender finger, before pulling her into his embrace once more.

Amid the celebration, only two people made no effort to join in.

Sirius remained seated, staring in avid disbelief at what had just transpired.  Frozen in shock, he slowly became aware of a hand slipping into his own.  He looked to his little sister.  Her deep blue eyes glinted against the pale skin, blinking in confusion and fear.  She mouthed a question, gazing imploringly into his eyes.

A grim expression on his features, Sirius nodded, holding her hand tightly as his eyes were traitorously drawn to their future stepfather.

*

**To Be Continued.**

*

**Please review.  All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.**

*

**Author's Notes.  **

**MorganD – **It's so frustrating not to have adults believe you, even when you're telling the truth.  Some people refuse to see you as anything but a child; someone who will easily make up lies and cause trouble.   And you're right, things will not be smooth sailing between Sirius and his mother for some time.  It's a bit difficult for the other Marauders to help at the moment as they can't see each other for the time being and not being allowed to contact Sirius.  That chapter was meant to highlight how alone the victim can feel – how hopeless their situation is when no one seems willing to believe the true extent of the problem they're facing; especially when family, the very people you need to believe you the most, fail to understand.  I've tried hard to cover as many aspects of abusive situations as possible, as well the problem faced by children and teenagers in a divorced family when one parent finds a new partner.  I had so many ideas when I started writing this I didn't think I'd get everything in but I think I've covered a lot of what I intended to. 

As for the Ministry detecting underage magic … well, JK Rowling has been extremely sketchy with the details on how that happens.  I did think that it covered wand-cast spells, but then what about Dobby?  So I though maybe it's because it occurred in a Muggle home and there was no qualified witch or wizard in the area.  But then what about the accidental magic that's cast by children before they're old enough to go to Hogwarts?  Until JK Rowling actually makes it clear as to how and what it is that the Ministry detects, I think most fanfic authors will go with what they feel fits.  For the sake of this fic, I'll say that it's wand-cast spells (hence why Lily reminded Remus not to use a wand with the Healing magic), in the presence of a Muggle who has no knowledge of the magical world, or if you are under seventeen, that the Ministry will issue a warning (or expel you from Hogwarts in Harry's case of book 5).  There may be some kind of surveillance or detection spells all over the place that are monitored by the Improper Use of Magic Office – maybe.  A bit of a vague explanation I know, but hey, if JK Rowling doesn't make it clear, we can make up our own rules to suit our fics.  ^_^

**Sweet A.K – **Thank you very much!  I hope you'll enjoy the rest of my fic.

**Lovevanillacreme – **Thanks for reading.  Glad you're enjoying it.  Ah, but will Andromeda ever discover the truth?  I've been pretty cruel so far … *evil cackle*

**Christy – **I think we've just about hit the lowest point really.  How could it possibly get any worse?  Hmm, let's see, there's still another six chapters to go … ^_^.  You're right about Andromeda's thoughts about Sirius – he's been behaving like a brat towards her 'wonderful boyfriend', because he obviously doesn't want anyone, especially a Muggle, to take the place of his father.  Simply put; she's fed up with Sirius' attitude.  Ah, you're not the only one to ask about Orion.  He will show up later, don't worry.

**Songsmith – **Upon re-reading chapter thirteen, I do see your point.  It does seem a tad much, though I must admit it was a very difficult chapter to write convincingly.  Part of the problem they had was that Richard got in first with the 'explanations' so the Marauder's attempts convince their parents that anything sinister was going on was difficult to put across.  The parents felt inclined to believe another adult who appeared perfectly pleasant and kindly, if a bit annoyed at the prank the teenagers were supposedly trying to pull on him.

The Marauders felt their priority was simply to get Sirius away from Richard, to help him.  Alerting an adult would have been the next (and probably the most sensible) step, but they never got that far unfortunately.  Not everyone does the right thing at the right time regardless of the situation.  It's not always obvious what the best course of action would be and the Marauders were so intent on rescuing Sirius, they rushed in and the plan failed.

I know that probably doesn't quite 'justify' all the events of that chapter, but I asked for criticism and I'm pleased to have received some. Thank you very much for being so honest; I now have something else I can work to improve. ^_^

**WallyTheWhale – ***Voltora eagerly grabs her pick axe and joins the mob*  Great suggestion!  I know Richard's threat is particularly nasty, but since Sirius really cares for his little sister you can understand why Richard would seize the opportunity to gain more control over Sirius.  Would you want to risk a brother or sister?  Sirius certainly doesn't.

Richard might have harmed Lily if Ursa hadn't entered the room.  If there's never a witness to back up a victim's claim, then he can get away with it.  He's evil, but not stupid.

Oh, the joy that is parents.  It's awful when parents don't believe you, even when you are telling the truth, and then it feels like it'll take a miracle for them to see the truth, even if it's over something stupid.  Been there, done that, felt completely dispirited, but it did help when writing this chapter.  Might have gone over the top I have to admit, but from Andromeda's point of view, her teenaged troublemaking son, who clearly detests her boyfriend (or should I say fiancé), is deliberately being difficult, he went off when she'd asked him to stay home and watch his sister, was intent on playing a malicious prank, failed to explain his actions adequately and then she caught him swearing.  Okay, I don't have kids of my own, but I'll tell you now, my parents would have gone absolutely ballistic if I'd dared to do anything like that!  You have to remember, she loves Richard and won't hear a word against him; even if it's from her son.  Under the circumstances, I think she reacted as a distressed and angry person would, and the slapping was a spur of the moment 'I'm too worked up and angry to think straight' reaction.  Plus parents do sometimes slap a child to discipline them – mine certainly did – and it just felt right at the time I was writing it.

Orion won't return for a few more chapters, but yes he does have a much better relationship with his son.  You'll have to wait to see what happens.  ^_^  And I'm really pleased that Wormtail is being seen as a 'good guy', he was indeed a friend and trusted all those years ago.  I'm planning on writing a short fic about him if I ever get my other projects done; it'll be about his thoughts and feelings on being overshadowed by his popular and talented friends, maybe going into why he turned to the Dark side; early ideas yet.  I'm far too busy with my fics for the time being but I'd like to get that one done.

**NightSpear – **Sirius Torturer #1; now _that's_ a title I shall wear with pride!  ^_^  Yes, I have been horribly mean, but trust me, it can't get much worse *cough-cough*  I'm really pleased with the way Wormtail turned out.  I really wanted to show him as a loyal friend, because, as you said, so many other writers portray him as evil from day one, and I just don't see it that way.  If he had always been so dark and twisted why would the Marauders have been friends with him?   I was just having a bit of fun with Lily, making her act like an idiot so Wormtail could sneak in the front door.  She hadn't played much of a part so I decided to involve her more in the rescue attempt.

**Aqua-Hime – **Ouch; you really don't like Andromeda, do you?  I can see why, she wasn't on my 'nice character list' for some time.  Sirius may try to abide by the rules, but then again, will he back down indefinitely or decide to stand up for himself once more?   Have to wait and see.

**TiniTinuviel – **You were reading in the wee hours of the morning?  I didn't know you liked it that much!  ^_^  Thank you very much for your comments, I really appreciate them.


	15. A Solemn Promise

**Chapter Fifteen: A Solemn Promise.  **

It was nearly midnight before they finally returned home.  Both Andromeda and Richard had consumed a fair amount of wine and stayed downstairs, talking excitedly, repeatedly hugging and kissing.  Completely unnoticed, Sirius and Ursa slipped away upstairs to their rooms.

Closing his door on the happy voices, Sirius flung himself onto his bed.  Cosmic jumped up beside him, mewing.  Sirius stroked the cat's silky fur as Cosmic lay down and promptly made himself comfortable.  Reaching over to the bedside table, Sirius picked up his clock and set the alarm.  He shoved it under the pillow, and then changed into his pyjamas and got into bed.  He closed his eyes, trying to block out the muffled sounds of the continuous celebration downstairs.  Within minutes, he drifted off to sleep, accompanied by the rumbling purrs of Cosmic beside him.

*

Two hours later, a harsh ringing sound drew Sirius abruptly into consciousness.  For a moment, he couldn't think what could be making such an awful racket; then, as though his body had woken up faster than his brain, he reached under his pillow and swatted at the alarm clock.  It took several attempts to actually hit the clock and turn it off.  Silence fell, only to be broken by the disgruntled grumbling of Cosmic; the cat snarled and stalked to the end of the bed where he settled himself down again.

Rubbing his eyes furiously, Sirius sat up, determined not to accidentally fall back to sleep.  He sat perfectly still, listening for any sound at all.  The house was silent.  A shaft of moonlight fell through the window onto the bedspread, sending a silver-grey glow across the room.  Cosmic's fur gleamed, his green eyes shining through the darkness.

Moving up to sit at the window, Sirius slid it open.  A cool breeze blew pleasantly across his face.  The garden below was dark and still.  Cautiously, Sirius leaned over the sill.  The window next to his was dark; the curtains were drawn, but the window had been left open a crack.

Putting two fingers in his mouth, Sirius gave three short whistles.  He paused, and then whistled again.  A short, shrill whistle was heard in reply.  A few moments later, Ursa appeared at her window.  Her face significantly pale in the moonlight, she gave a tired smile.

'Are you okay, Ursa?' Sirius whispered anxiously.

She nodded.  Sirius wasn't convinced.  She didn't look okay at all.  Her eyes were over-bright and her expression looked troubled.

'What about you?' she asked quietly.  'You okay?'

'I'm fine,' said Sirius, brushing aside her concern.  He'd just opened his mouth to speak when Ursa beat him to it.

'You're lying,' came the soft accusation. 

Ursa's face was grim, her eyes meeting Sirius' with a firm stare.

Sirius faltered, swallowing the words he'd about to say.  He sighed dejectedly, looking down at his hands.

'Is it really that obvious when I tell a lie?' he muttered.

'No,' said Ursa, the corners of her mouth twitching.  'But seeing as you've just admitted to it …'

Sirius looked up at her.  She gave a small smile.  Sirius gave a short laugh; it sounded strained.

'Okay, _that_ was sneaky.'

'Well, I did learn it from you,' she said, making an attempt at sounding cheerful.  Sirius looked pained.

'Ursa, I'd rather you didn't look to me as an example all the time,' said Sirius, his voiced taking on a bitter edge.  'You'll only get into trouble.'

For a minute or so, both were silent.  Ursa continued to watch her brother as he gazed morosely into the garden, his eyes downcast.

'I believe you.'

Confused, Sirius blinked and looked up.

'Sorry?'

'I believe you,' said Ursa softly.  'What you said about Richard hurting you.'

Sirius stared at her.

'Y – you do?  Why?  You weren't even there; how could you have heard?'

'I was only upstairs, Siri.  Besides, it tends to be easier to hear people when they start shouting, particularly if they're right below my bedroom.'  She gave a small guilty smile.  'And I … er … used a glass to listen in …'

For some reason, that didn't surprise Sirius in the least.  Back in the days when their father had still lived with them, both Sirius and Ursa would eavesdrop on their parents' arguments from time to time.  The most useful method they'd discovered was using an upturned glass to amplify sounds through walls or floors.

These midnight 'meetings' had also come about during those times.  Nearly every night they'd stayed up late, talking into the early hours of the morning, trying to reach some sort of understanding of their situation and their parents' divorce.  Those talks had usually ended with Sirius reassuring his little sister that everything would alright; even if he never really believed it himself.

'How much did you hear?' Sirius asked.

Ursa shifted uncomfortably.

'Something about Richard hitting you … you calling him a liar … Mum sounded angry, she didn't believe you … I heard you come upstairs with Mum – I didn't catch what you said but when you went back downstairs you … um, shouted … at Richard,' Ursa avoided Sirius' gaze as she spoke.  'Then Mum started shouting at you … and you came running upstairs to your room and you didn't come back out.'

She paused, fidgeting a little, then added, 'I think I heard someone else go into your room, but I'm not sure.'

Sirius didn't say anything.  A warm, gratifying feeling inside him had grown at her first few words.  She believed him.  Somehow lacking the words to express his immense relief and gratitude, he asked, 'You really believe me?'

'Of course I do.  You wouldn't lie about something like that; I know you wouldn't.  Besides, I don't know how else to explain why your friends would sneak into the house to see you in the middle of the night, especially when they all live so far away.'  She frowned, thinking hard.  'It was really weird; Richard seemed to know that Lily had come to see you, but told her she couldn't because you were being punished for something.  As soon as he'd gone upstairs, Lily asked me if I was hurt, then if I knew whether you were okay.  I thought she'd lost her marbles; she was acting kinda scared.

'Then the rest of your friends turned up and I was totally lost, and since no one thought to explain anything to me, I was left to try figuring it out for myself.  Of course, you turning into a reclusive hermit didn't help much.' She gave him a sardonic half-smile, but it faded quickly.  'Siri, _why _did you do that?  Why wouldn't you talk to me?'

'I …' Sirius paused.  Was it absolutely necessary to give Ursa all the details?  That Richard had threatened to hurt her if Sirius dared to cross the line again?  No, it would only frighten her.  Hesitantly, he tried again.

'Richard warned me not to cause any more trouble,' he said slowly.  'So I figured it was best to stay out of everyone's way.'

'But – but why did you never talk to me?  Answered me when I knocked?'  Ursa's eyes were round with confusion.  Sirius felt another stab of guilt, but he tried to ignore it.

'It was easier if I just kept my distance,' he said shortly.  'I'm sorry, Ursa, but I didn't want to get you into trouble again.  Last time I did that we lost all our Hogwarts stuff, remember?'

'I remember that it wasn't your fault.'

'Maybe, but I didn't want to take any chances. I don't want to see you get hurt.'

A cold sense of dread washed over Sirius as Ursa's posture changed subtly at his last comment.  Her eyes flickered uncertainly, her hands twisting.  She was almost cowering, like a caged animal.  

'Ursa?'

She didn't look at him.

Sirius' stomach dropped.

'Ursa?  Has Richard ever … hurt you?'

Slowly, Ursa lifted her head, and then shook it slowly in answer.

'Has he ever touched you?  Made you feel uncomfortable?'  Sirius could hardly believe he was asking these questions, but they were important.

Ursa hesitated.  Sirius held his breath, watching her closely.

'No,' replied Ursa, softly.  'He hasn't.'

Sirius breathed again.

'I just … I don't like him near me.' Brow furrowed, Ursa struggled to explain.  'One minute he's really nice and I like him, but then it's like he changes … like he's someone else.  He's horrible to you and then I don't like him.  I don't understand how I can like and dislike a person at the same time … he's never been nasty to me, but … I don't know …' She blinked hard, her eyes watering.  'He scares me,' she whispered.

Sirius would have given anything to have been able to put his arms around his sister and given her a hug at that moment.  Leaning out of the window as far as he could, Sirius reached out.

'Hey, don't cry, Ursa,' he whispered.  'It's okay.'

Slowly, Ursa reached out and took hold of his hand.  She sniffed.

'No, it's not,' she said miserably.  'I don't want Richard to be our dad.'

Sirius couldn't think of an answer to that.  Squeezing her hand, Sirius tried to reassure his sister, but it felt like such a lie when he didn't believe it was going to get better anymore than she did.  

'Ursa, I want you to promise me something,' said Sirius at last.  'Promise me that you'll never do anything that Richard asks you to do if you aren't comfortable about it.  You don't have to tell him or show him anything if you think it's wrong, okay?  Promise me you'll remember that?'  

Ursa gave another sniff and nodded.

'Promise.'  She still looked upset.  'But, Siri, what if he does?  What do I do if he gets mad?'

'Just don't act like you know what he's done, okay?  If he thinks that you know something, he may decide …' Sirius trailed off.  He didn't need to finish that sentence.  Ursa understood.  'But I don't want to you worry, Ursa,' Sirius' expression hardened, a cold fire burning in his pale eyes, 'I'm not going to leave you again.  I'm not going to let him hurt you, okay?'

Ursa gave a small smile, blinking hopefully at her brother with watery eyes.

'You promise?'

Sirius nodded firmly.

'I promise.'

*

**To Be Continued.  **

*

**Author's Notes.**

**NightSpear – **As this chapter has just shown, Ursa hasn't been blind to what's been going on, she's just lacking a good explanation.  She's very confused as to Richard's behaviour but naturally believes that her brother wouldn't lie.  So the prospect of marriage isn't a great one for her either.  In your words; it sucks!  As for Sirius in his Animagus form, personally I feel that instead of seeing things purely from a human perspective, you are more influenced by the animal instincts, which is why Sirius took more notice of the scent – he wouldn't have known it was there while he was still human.  But I didn't want to make it sound as though Sirius is in total control of the animal nature, so I noted that he had to concentrate to try and make sense of what the instincts were telling him, to translate it for his human mind.  Makes it more complicated, but there you are.  ^_^   Good luck with your SATs!

**Christy – **Good plan!  Although I don't know what his friends would think of running away with him to another country.  But I guess that it does sound like a reasonable solution at the moment.

**Sweet A.K – **Ah, everyone's got a suspicion about evil Richard; some really inventive!  Orion will turn up again soon, I promise!

**WallyTheWhale – **'future stepfather'; yep, that was a sinister note to end that chapter on.  I was very pleased with it.  ^_^  Yikes, hold up!  Sirius is not suicidal.  Suicide is a bit of a touchy subject with me.   I have known several people who have taken their lives, and another who tried but he was stopped just in time.  I just can't see how ending your life solves anything; it's my personal view that no matter bad things may seem; taking your life is never an option.  While Sirius' situation is a horrible one, the only way out is to never give up.  In my opinion, death is not the solution; it's giving up on yourself and it causes pain to those who love you.  How can you justify ending your life to end your pain, if you're just passing it on to others?

Sorry, depressing reflection over now.   

Hmm, you've come up with some really interesting theories – your poltergeist one (though I agree it's farfetched!) I felt was very original.  But you are wrong on that one.  Richard is not dead despite how much some people wish he were, but he's very much alive. (An animated corpse does not count before you start on a zombie theory!)

The implication of the scent seems to have intrigued some people.  Well, you've had another week to mull it over, but I will say that there isn't necessarily a magical explanation for the scent.  Scent is a perfectly mundane thing; it's just that dogs have such a highly developed sense of smell that Padfoot could detect it.  (Dogs have something like over 200 million olfactory cells in their nasal cavities, while humans only have approximately 5 million – just don't ask me how on earth scientists worked that out!  It's like them saying that a cat can see eight times better than humans in the dark; how exactly do they measure that??) 

**Lovevanillacreme – **I have an 'adoring fan'?  Yay!!  *does the happy dance*  I have fans!  It's such a nice thing to actually see that written down.  ^_^  Sorry, but it's one post a week only!  If the fic were more than twenty chapters long then I would do a twice-weekly post, but as it is, I'm sticking with a Friday post.   I'm so glad that someone still likes Andromeda; she's not evil, just misled.

**Semmel – **Don't go giving up, Sherlock!  Wow, you've really been thinking this through!  You've had lots of ideas, and my apologies that this chapter doesn't really shed any light on your theories.  I'm afraid that that had to be done; Richard is now on course to marrying Andromeda and being Sirius' stepfather.  (Just as soon as you think he's hit rock bottom, someone hands him a shovel; 'oh look, here's a lower place!' *sadistic laugh*)

**Songsmith – **Welcome back, songsmith!  Yes, it was a reasonably quick courtship.  Though they have been seeing each other since Easter, so that's about five or six months before Richard got down on one knee.  Before I started writing this, I decided that it would have more of an impact if Sirius and Ursa had never met Richard before, so Andromeda met Richard shortly after they returned to school after the Easter break, and their relationship went from there.  And yes, Andromeda has completely fallen for him - *sigh* Oh, how love is blind.  


	16. Cross The Line

**Chapter Sixteen: Cross the Line.  **

Plans for the wedding had commenced.  There were talks of an autumn wedding or perhaps waiting until the spring.  A traditional church ceremony or something different, invitations, food and, of course, the bride's dress.

Early each morning Andromeda was to be seen pouring over beautiful photos and dress designs while she ate her breakfast, sketching out ideas for her dress - only to hide them when Richard entered the room, who teasingly made to spy on her.

'Oh, no, you don't,' laughed Andromeda, playfully slapping Richard's hand away as it inched towards her sketches.  'It's bad luck!'

'Well, we don't want any of that, do we?' Richard chuckled, before cunningly reaching around her back.

'Mum!'

Andromeda smacked her hand down on Richard's, inches from the papers.

'What did I say?' She smiled.

Richard pointed a finger at Ursa.  She giggled, peeking round the kitchen door.

'Squealer,' he said, flashing a grin.

Ursa just smiled and disappeared into the hallway.

Sirius watched her go, quietly eating his own breakfast on the other side of the kitchen.  Despite her fears about Richard, Ursa was nevertheless following Sirius' advice; don't behave like you know what he's done.  She still presented a cheerful face, speaking politely with Richard and chatting with her mother about possible dress designs.

For his part, Sirius was sticking to his original plan of keeping his distance from Richard.  Whilst finally giving up on solitary confinement, Sirius was glad of Richard's preoccupation with the wedding plans.  He didn't feel quite so vulnerable and Richard seemed more tolerant of his presence.  Richard had not voiced any objection to Sirius' return to the family fold, something that Sirius felt distinctly unsettled about but he certainly didn't complain.

But the peculiar acceptance still had its price.  Sirius had been trying, and failing, to dispel the sickening sensation in his stomach at the constant talk of 'the big day' as Richard kept calling it.  There seemed to be no words to describe the sheer dread Sirius felt at the thought of having Richard as his stepfather.

The only thing that was sustaining Sirius' sanity was the blissful realisation that the summer was nearing its end; September was barely three weeks away.  With it would come Hogwarts, and more importantly, his friends.

However, Sirius had no intention of breaking his promise to Ursa.  He was not going to allow Richard the opportunity of harming his sister.  Not if he could help it.

*

Later that morning, Andromeda went over the road to speak with Mrs. Fennel, mentioning something about bridesmaids.  Sirius returned to his room, picking up Cosmic on the way.  The cat lay peacefully on Sirius' lap, purring as Sirius ran a comb through the fur.  Finding the activity pleasantly therapeutic, Sirius leaned back against the bed, allowing his mind to wander aimlessly.

Three more weeks, that was all it was, just three more weeks.  But how many until the wedding?  Sirius frowned and sighed.  There was a pause in Cosmic's purring, but the cat carried on after a few moments, Sirius stroking him behind the ears.  A specific date hadn't been set, but it was coming too quickly for Sirius' liking. 

Try not to think about it, he told himself firmly, running his hand over Cosmic's back.  The cat shifted uncomfortably.   But no matter how hard Sirius tried to forget about it, the more the thought plagued him.  

What was going to happen when Richard became his stepfather?  It couldn't go on like this forever, could it?  Constantly working to avoid him and keeping the beatings a secret?  Sirius was still at school; there was no way he could get a job to support himself if he moved out.  And that would leave Ursa on her own.  He couldn't do that; he'd sworn to protect her.  Besides, moving out would be like giving up, allowing Richard to win.  

Sirius sighed ruefully.  Why didn't anything in life ever have a straightforward solution?  

Removing Cosmic from his lap, Sirius headed off to the bathroom.  Cosmic stayed where he was, calmly licking a paw and washing his face.  

Walking back across the landing a few minutes later, lost in his thoughts, Sirius abruptly drew up short, right outside his sister's bedroom.   The door was ajar.  His sister's voice came from within, sounding muffled – and frightened.  Reaching out, Sirius pushed the door open.

Richard was sat on Ursa's bed, his back to Sirius.  Ursa was seated beside him, wriggling frantically with a sweater stuck over her head.  She gave a muffled cry as Richard took hold of her.

Without a moment's hesitation, Sirius dove forward.  Moving swiftly up behind Richard, he seized the older man by his shoulders and shoved him with all his strength.  Richard went flying off the bed, yelling as he hit the floor with a crash.  There was a sickening thud as his head smacked against the wall.  Vaulting over the bed, Sirius moved to stand between Richard and his sister.  Shaking slightly out of fear, he met Richard's enraged stare unflinchingly.

'You keep your filthy hands off of my sister,' he growled, clenching his fists.

'What the devil do you think you're playing at?' Richard shouted.  Breathing heavily, he clambered to his feet, taking a step towards them.

'Don't – touch – her.' Sirius' pale eyes narrowed, flashing dangerously.  Richard paused, his face contorting with a look almost like confusion and anger, staring incredulously at the sudden boldness of the teenager.  

Half turning to his sister, Sirius asked, 'Are you alright, Ursa?'

Ursa managed to yank the sweater off her head, her hair a frizzy mess.  Her cheeks were flushed pink.  She nodded, breathing in short gasps.  Eyes wide, she edged away from them both.

'Of course, she's alright,' Richard snarled.  'She got tangled up putting her sweater on and needed some help.'  A cold kind of smile swam across his face as he turned his gaze to Ursa.  'Isn't that right, Ursa?'

Looking over his shoulder at Ursa, Sirius took note of his sister's wide blue eyes, darting from him to Richard and back again.  Trembling slightly, she nodded.  

'You see?' said Richard coldly, drawing Sirius' gaze once more.  'She's fine.'  His expression hardened.  'Now, what – '

'I'm home!'

The front door banged shut.  Andromeda's voice called from the hallway.  'Richard?  Where are you?'

'I'm upstairs, honey,' Richard called back, a smile plastering itself over his face.  His grey eyes flashed ominously at Sirius.  'I'll deal with you later,' he hissed.  His eyes flicked over to Ursa, and he left the room.

Wordlessly, Sirius turned to Ursa.  Clutching the sweater to her, she mouthed, 'Thank you'.  She was trembling.  Sinking onto the bed beside her, Sirius wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.  Resting her head on his shoulder, Ursa soon calmed down enough to whisper fearfully, 'He's going to be really mad at you.'

'I know,' said Sirius, his voice firm, masking the fear.

'What are you going to do?'

Sirius thought fast, but no answer came to mind.

'I'll think of something,' he said.  'You stay with Mum, okay?'

Ursa nodded, slowly pulling back from him.

After a while, Ursa plucked up the courage to go downstairs.  From the upstairs landing, Sirius could hear her and their mother in the living room discussing possible colours for the bridesmaids' dresses.  Richard was busy in the kitchen, starting work on the evening meal.  Certain that Ursa was okay for the time being, Sirius returned to his room.

*

'Sirius, dinner's ready!'

Andromeda stood at the foot of the stairs, waiting for a response.  When she got none, she tried again.

'Sirius!' she shouted a bit louder.

When Sirius didn't reply, Andromeda marched up the stairs and rapped on the bedroom door.

'Sirius?  Come on, dinner's on the table,' she said, opening the door.

On the threshold, she drew up short.  Sirius was lying on the bed, half curled up on his side.  His long hair fell over his face.  He slowly looked up with half-open eyes.  

'Oh, Star, are you alright?' she asked, her voice full of concern.

Sirius made a soft noise by way of reply.  His mother knelt down beside him, putting a hand to his forehead.  He felt a little warm.

'Do you feel sick?'

Sirius nodded and closed his eyes.

'Stomach hurts,' he mumbled, 'and my head hurts.'

His mother made some sympathetic noises, brushing his hair off his face.  Quickly, she headed back downstairs, and returned a few minutes later with a glass of water and some tablets.  Sirius slowly sat up and swallowed the tablets without protest. 

'That should help,' said Andromeda soothingly, taking the glass back.  She leaned over the bed to pull the curtains closed.  'Try and get some sleep … I'll come back and check on you in a little while, okay?'

Sirius nodded.  He lay back down and closed his eyes.  His mother quietly left the room, easing the door shut behind her.

Sirius' eyes snapped open the moment she'd gone.  He shifted about to find a more comfortable position.  He felt a bit guilty putting on an act like this, but it provided a good excuse to miss dinner.   Ursa would be fine; she'd understand.  She'd probably know that he wasn't really feeling sick.

Of course, being 'ill' meant going without proper meals for a while.  However …

Sirius got up and retrieved his hidden stash from the bottom of his wardrobe.  It had been there for a while, but most of it was fine.  Choosing some crackers and doughy biscuits, Sirius went back to bed, tucking them out of sight under his pillow, just in case his mother came back again.  

Cosmic lay stretched out on the end of the bed, his tail flicking about restlessly.  Mewing plaintively, the cat got up and paced underneath the window.

'Yeah, yeah, hang on,' Sirius murmured.  He sat up again and opened the window.  Cosmic sprang up onto the sill, allowing Sirius to stroke him a little, before stepping out onto the roof.  'See you later,' said Sirius, and Cosmic trotted away, disappearing into the garden.

About half an hour later, Andromeda tapped on the door and stuck her head inside.  

'How are you feeling, Star?' she whispered.

Sirius raised his head slightly off the pillow, rubbing his eyes.

'Had a nice sleep?'

Sirius nodded.

'How's your stomach?'  

'A bit better,' said Sirius softly.  'Still hurts though.'

'Do you want to try eating something?'

Sirius closed his eyes in thought, or maybe it was tiredness.  Andromeda sat on the bed next to him.  

'I could make some soup if you like,' she offered.

A frown fell over his face.  He shook his head.

'I don't want anything hot,' he murmured.  'Can I have some ice cream?' he added hopefully.

Andromeda smiled.

'I'll see if we have any.  But it'll only be a little bit, okay?  I don't want you upsetting your stomach.'

Sirius smiled gratefully and closed his eyes once more.

'Are you okay with that window open?'

He nodded, mumbling a yes.

'Sure?  You're not too cold?'

'I'm fine,' he breathed, shifting slightly to adjust the pillow.

His mother got up and went back downstairs, saying she'd be back soon. Sirius was tempted to really go to sleep this time, but his grumbling stomach urged him to stay awake a while longer; the biscuits and crackers hadn't exactly been a filling meal.

Sirius was just on the verge of falling asleep when a soft tapping sounded on the door.  Propping himself up on his elbows, Sirius was glad to see Ursa enter the room.  She was carrying a small bowl of strawberry ice cream and a glass of orange juice.

'Hi,' she spoke just above a whisper.  'You feeling okay?'

Sirius smiled.

'Yeah, I'm okay.'

Ursa set the ice cream down on the bedside table, sticking the spoon into it.

'Mum and Richard were talking about having the wedding at Christmas,' she said.  'I guess that means we'll have to come home over the holiday.'

Sirius' face darkened but he refined from saying anything.  He'd probably use a few inappropriate words.

Ursa stood there for a moment, her large blue eyes watching him in the semi-darkness.  Slowly, she held out the orange juice.  Sirius took hold of the glass, but she kept hold of it for a moment.

'I'll keep an ear out … just in case,' she said.

Giving her brother a pointed look, Ursa let go.  

'Drink it – Mum says it's good for you.'

Sirius nodded his thanks and took a gulp of the juice.  

'I'll see you tomorrow,' said Ursa, backing up towards the door.

'Yeah, see you, Ursa.'

With a brief smile and a nod, she left the room.

*

It was almost an hour later when Sirius stirred from his sleep.  After devouring the ice cream he'd dropped off.  For a moment he lay there with his eyes shut, wishing he'd fall back to sleep again when faint noises reached his ears.  He opened his eyes, peering into the darkened room.  The sounds came from the kitchen below.  Rolling over, Sirius was on the verge of dismissing the noise, when it occurred to him who the voices belonged to.  Sitting up, he listened again.

His mother's voice sounded excited.  She was speaking almost too quickly to make out the words.  Richard was with her, speaking in a pleasant tone.

Straining to hear, Sirius slowly got out of bed and tiptoed across the floor.  Grasping the door handle, he eased it open.  It made little difference.  The kitchen door was shut; the voices inaudible.  Sirius didn't dare go downstairs.  He was supposed to be sick.  Ursa's bedroom door was shut.  It was getting late so she was probably in bed already.

Closing the door, Sirius turned.  His gaze fell upon the glass of orange juice.  A smirk flashed across his face.  Seizing the glass, Sirius murmured, 'Thanks Ursa,' and quickly drained the rest of the juice.

Flipping the empty glass upside down, Sirius knelt on the floor and set it on the carpet.   Crouching over it, Sirius pressed his ear to the underside of the glass.  The voices from the kitchen became slightly louder and clearer.  The carpet still muffled the sounds, but now most of the words were audible.

'I can't believe it!' came Andromeda's voice.  'They … they've worked it out!'

'That's fantastic,' said Richard, the beaming smile evident in his voice.  'How did … do it?'

'Oh, all those failed … I did … results weren't useless … did a few … their own and discovered …' Andromeda's voice rose shrilly in her excitement.  'I think we've … this time!' 

Pressing the glass harder into the carpet, Sirius strained to catch what they were saying, silently cursing the thickness of the carpet.

'Amelia called … wants me … help analyse the results … make sure.'

'That's to be expected.  Need … be sure that it works.'

'I think I'm … faint,' Andromeda laughed giddily.  '… taken so long to get this far.  I've got to go … they'll need me there.'   Her voice took on a nervous edge, like she was unsure.  'Richard, I'm sorry but I don't … this can't wait …'

Sirius grimaced in frustration as his mother moved to another part of the kitchen, her voice incoherent for a few moments.

'They're both … bed; they should be fine,' she said, clearer once more.  'I'll be … by morning, I promise.'

'You go and do whatever it is you need to,' said Richard, reassuringly.   Sirius had the impression that Richard was holding her in his arms as he said this.  'Go and make your medical discovery … have a bottle of champagne ready … you get back.'

Then came the distinct sound of kissing.  Wrinkling his nose in disgust, Sirius sat back up, rubbing his ear.  After a moment, he listened again.  Too late; his mother went out into the hallway to get her coat, Richard still mumbling something about everything being taken care of.  Bidding her fiancé goodbye, another kiss was shared and Andromeda departed, the front door closing behind her. 

Getting up off the floor, Sirius set the glass on the bedside table and climbed back into bed.  He may as well go back to sleep.  Rolling over to face the wall, Sirius found a comfortable position and closed his eyes.  He could find out tomorrow what his mother was making such a fuss about.

*

A nagging voice at the back of his mind seemed to be whispering urgently to him.  Sirius ignored it for as long as he could, clutching to the edge of sleep, wanting to return to the dreamless state he'd been in.  But the voice continued to whisper, a sense of unease growing in the pit of his stomach.  

His eyes snapped open.  Staring blankly at the wall, Sirius blinked hard, trying to make his eyes focus.  The room was dark and silent.  And yet … Sirius felt a cold chill run up his spine, sensing that something was wrong.

Rolling over, Sirius' eyes managed to adjust to the darkness.  As they did so, they widened in alarm.  Opening his mouth to shout, Sirius froze as a large hand was clapped over his face, silencing him.

Shrouded in shadow, Richard's cold eyes glinted from his darkened face.

'Sleep well?' he asked, a venomous smile on his lips.

Breathing heavily through his nose, Sirius lay still, desperately trying not to panic.  His heart was pounding against his ribcage so hard he feared it was going to break right through his chest.

'Ann informed me that you weren't feeling well,' he said slowly.  'I'm sorry to hear that.'  He didn't sound it.  'Now, I have a little matter I'd like to discuss with you.  I do recall that I informed you of a certain penalty if you dared to cross the line again …'

His fear suddenly taking a backseat in his mind, Sirius grabbed hold of Richard's hand, forced his mouth open and bit down – hard.  Richard jerked back with a shout of pain, clutching his hand.  Breathing in short gasps, Sirius pushed himself up.

'You warned me, but you hurt her anyway,' he snarled angrily.  'I don't call that playing by the rules.'

Clenching his fist, Richard raised it threateningly.

'What would _you_ know of rules?' he spat.  'Little brat … always breaking rules … and you enjoy it, don't you?  No discipline …'

Sirius made to get off the bed, but Richard stepped forward and seized a fistful of Sirius' hair.  Yelping in pain, Sirius staggered as Richard forced his head back.

'I'm growing very weary of this continuous rebellion,' said Richard dangerously.  'I won't have you interfering!'

'Keep your filthy hands off my sister and I might consider it,' Sirius growled.

He grabbed hold of Richard's huge hand and dug his nails in, hoping to make him let go.  A blur of movement – without really thinking about it, Sirius slammed his forearm down on Richard's wrist, blocking the punch, mere inches from connecting with his stomach.  Growling deep in his throat, Richard drew his fist back to try again but Sirius brought his knee up hard and fast.  Richard cried out in agony and rage, releasing his hold on Sirius' hair.  He stumbled back a pace.

A fierce pride shone on Sirius' face.  He planted his feet firmly, regaining his balance.  Through gritted teeth, Richard swore, a murderous light in his cold grey eyes.

'You like rules?' Sirius asked quietly.  'You leave my sister out of this and I don't cause any trouble … you lay so much as lay a finger on Ursa and I will 'forget' about keeping my mouth shut. Got it, _Dick?_'

Sirius' reckless courage faltered as Richard's face hardened alarmingly at that last comment.  With a bellow of enraged fury, he lunged.

Sirius didn't have more than a second to react.  But fear took control and he froze for that vital second, terrified. 

Richard lashed out, striking Sirius around the head with his forearm.  Sirius ducked, making a vain attempt to get out from between the bed and Richard – he had no room to manoeuvre – but found himself in a headlock as the powerful arm was wrapped round his throat.  

'Ursa!' Sirius yelled before his throat could be trapped.  _'URSA!'_

'Scream all you want,' Richard snarled, tightening his grip.  Sirius choked, coughing weakly.  'She's sound asleep; she won't hear you.'

Wriggling frantically, Sirius struggled to get out.  A fist flew past his face, hitting his stomach a split second later.  All the wind knocked out of him, Sirius gasped in pain, and for air.  Another blow caught him in the stomach.  Falling to his knees, Sirius felt like he was going to black out.  He was choking. 

Abruptly, Richard let go and Sirius slumped to the floor, his chest heaving.  His stomach lurched. Throwing up what remained of his last meal, Sirius fought for air, trying to breathe …

A foot swung into his field of vision.  It hit him in the chest.  Gritting his teeth against the pain, Sirius forced himself to roll, moving out of range of the next blow.  Scrambling to find his feet, a hand seized him by the neck of his pyjamas, jerking him up roughly.

Once more, the thick arm snaked its way around his neck, the other arm wrapping tightly around his body from behind, pinning his arms.  With no breath to shout, and barely room enough to breathe, Sirius wriggled, kicking out with his feet.

Catching Richard's legs with a few sharp kicks, Sirius felt the arms lose their grip.  Fighting harder against them, Sirius twisted and, pulling one arm free, jabbed his elbow sharply into Richard's ribs.  

The arm around his throat let go – but then a vicious blow struck his head, knocking Sirius to the floor once more.  His strength fading, Sirius tried to get up but his shaking limbs refused to respond.  He weakly raised his head, blinking hard to clear his vision.  Darkness was gathering at the edges, threatening to engulf him.

The blurry image of Richard leaned over him, swimming in and out of focus.  For a horrible moment, there appeared to be several Richards looming over him.  Sirius felt his aching lungs working frantically, air getting through in painful gasps.  

A low voice hissed in his ear, alight with malice.

'You're a plucky kid; I'll give you that.  But don't think you can get away with that kind of behaviour … you will learn to submit eventually, I'm sure.  Just remember I won't be so gentle next time …'

Those words were all Sirius heard before the darkness clouded his vision and he passed out.

*

When Sirius regained consciousness, it was to find that he was alone once more.   His body aching, Sirius lay still.  A shaft of silvery light fell across the floor and into his face.  Blinking hard, Sirius slowly raised his head, squinting against the light.

The curtains fluttered in the breeze.  It was a perfectly clear night and the velvety sky was alight with stars.  His mind hazy, Sirius' gaze moved slowly over each of the stars, their names floating up out of his memory.  The Hunter constellation seemed to jump out at him, the stars gleaming and winking down on him.  

Eyes drooping, Sirius looked to the constellation just below it.

Canis Major.

The stars there shone brightly, just like all the others.  And yet … Sirius frowned.  Blinking his eyes hard a couple of times he looked again.  

The star that should have been the brightest of them all, looked pale … weak.  Its light appeared hazy, not the strong beacon of light that Sirius had so often looked for in the sky; his namesake and guiding star.  Ever since his father had taught him the origin of his name, Sirius had taken such pride in that star, always looking for it in the night sky; it's light brighter and stronger than those around it.

Though he'd never really shared this information with anyone, whenever he felt down, Sirius had only needed to look to the star and remind himself of the qualities of it – the light was the strongest of all the stars, as though it were a reminder of how he ought to be; strong inside … to shine better than those around him …  It never failed to inspire him to stop feeling sorry for himself and to do what needed to be done.

But tonight the star shone weakly … like its strength was fading.  

Closing his eyes, Sirius shivered.  _What should I do,_ he thought miserably.  _Where do I go from here?_

As though in answer, his star faded from sight, and the darkness claimed him.

*

**To Be Continued.  **

*

**Author's Notes.  **

**~ _Sorry for the late post, but I was unable to access the Internet earlier.  I'd also like to note that I have started my new job this week and as a result I may not always get home early enough to post the next chapter.  So I can't guarantee that it'll show up on the site until Saturday morning.  Sorry for any inconvenience. _**

**_Voltora _**

****

**Sweet A.K – **Orion will turn up soon, I promise!  Glad you love the story so far!

**WallyTheWhale – **I know it was short!  Normally I don't like having chapters that are that short, but the scene just wouldn't sit comfortably with the chapters on either side of it, so that had to be on its own.  I did try to make it a bit longer but you can't really drag something like that on for too long, otherwise it loses its impact.  But if you're waiting for a lengthy chapter then you'll love the last few – took me so long the write the final chapter I thought I'd never finish it!  ^_^

Ah, that mysterious scent.  Okay, I was tempted to drop a big hint last time, but decided not to.  However, since you're still determined to figure it out, I'll just say this – every living thing has a scent so everything that is touched by you will leave a residue of that smell on it.  Door handles, keyboard, cutlery, clothes, other people – your shoes will leave a trail on the ground that a dog could follow, and scent particles may be present on the air.  Those are day-to-day, almost 'accidental' scent trails, so in Richard's case, try not to think too much about 'how' it got there, but 'where' it is.  (Chapter 11 may help a little here.)  Sorry, if that's not particularly clear, but I can't say too much!  (I may get into trouble with my Beta!  And I'll be miffed if anyone manages to figure everything out before the last chapter.) 

And no, Richard is not a house-elf!  The poltergeist theory was more plausible than that! ^_^

Don't worry about the suicide references.  I know plenty of people will make flippant or casual comments about death without meaning for it to be nasty.  I can take it as a joke, but I just tend to think twice about it that's all.

Um, this may sound like a stupid question, but does SAT stand for?   Standard something Test?  I'm just guessing.  Still, good luck with them.  ^_^

**NightSpear – **I got the idea of having them talk at their windows because my brother and I used to do it for fun some years ago.  There are actually quite a lot of bits and pieces of my life slipped into this fic.  Those pale orange roses Richard bought Andromeda in the second chapter?  A reference to the flowers my first (now ex) boyfriend bought me on our first date. And Sirius' comments about Ursa's birth apply to me as well.  It's just a lot of silly little things, but they're all over the place.  ^_^

**Prongs4 – **Thanks for reading!

**Aqua-Hime – **Lots of questions, and I regret to say that I won't give any answers.  Hopefully by the end everything will be explained; if not, I'll be in trouble. ^_^  I don't really write very fast.  Although the first ten chapters were scribbled down in a rough draft within the space of two weeks, typing them up and writing the rest took absolutely ages.  I've been writing Heart of a Star since last September, and the remaining chapters are still being amended and Beta-ed for the second or third time!  I didn't start posting until I was absolutely sure of the ending.  It drives me crackers when authors don't finish a really good fic because they have no idea how it's going to end.  Plan ahead people!

**Christy – **Yeah, I'm glad too that Sirius has the moral support of his sister, though he is indeed very protective of her.  And I'm sorry to hear about your uncle.  I don't think some people realise just how often suicides occur and the effect they have on the families and friends.

**Lil Lupin – **Hi Lily! Hey, you've given my 100th review! *leaps up and does the manic happy dance!*  I can only image how I'd react if I ever hit the 200 barrier.  ^_^   Think there's any chance of that happening with this fic?  There are still five chapters left.  Nah, bit too hopeful, methinks.

No, I would never have Sirius commit suicide.  Nor Remus.  I can't say that I'd never write a suicide-based fic, but I just don't have the heart to do it to those characters.  I'll torture them both if it suits me, but never kill them.  ^_^ 

**Additional.  **

**Oero – **Hi there, Oero.  I know you may not have read this fic, but I'll leave a note for you as well anyway, since you kindly reviewed several other pieces of mine.  ^_^  Thank you so much for reading and reviewing Tell No Lies, !  And I'll certainly have a look at that website for lyrics – that'll come in really useful, I'm sure.   My next big project won't be up for a long time, so I'll probably be posting some short pieces in the meantime, mainly songfics, so thanks for your assistance!__


	17. Without a Trace

**Chapter Seventeen: Without a Trace. **

Early the next morning, Ursa was awakened by the warm sunshine streaming through the window.  Rubbing her eyes, she got out of bed, pulled on her dressing gown and ambled downstairs to the kitchen.

Richard was seated at the table, engrossed in the newspaper.

'Morning Richard.' Ursa yawned.

'Good morning,' Richard said cheerfully.  He seemed to be in a very pleasant mood.

Ursa looked round the kitchen.

'Where's Mum?'

'Oh, she's gone to see her workmates,' he said, smiling.  'Something important came up last night and she had to dash.  She said she'd try to get back this morning.'

Ursa returned the smile nervously.  Hesitating, she asked, 'Did you hear anything last night?'

Richard looked up sharply, his smile wavering.

'No.  Why do you ask?'

'Just thought I heard something,' she mumbled, shrugging her shoulders.  'Sounded like someone yelling but I couldn't really hear it, like it was really far away.'

'I didn't hear anything,' said Richard in a firm tone.  'It was properly just a dream.'

'I suppose so.'

Taking the seat furthest from Richard, Ursa ate her breakfast in silence.  As soon as she'd finished, she hurried back upstairs.  She knocked softly on Sirius' door.

'Siri?  Are you awake?'

She knocked again and pressed her ear to the door.  The room was silent.  Thinking he must still be asleep, Ursa went back to her own room and got dressed.  When she went back downstairs, it was to find that her mother had returned.  Andromeda was positively beaming, talking excitedly with Richard as he poured out two glasses of champagne.

'There you are!'  Andromeda practically leapt off her chair and swept Ursa up in a hug.  'I've got the most _wonderful_ news!'

'What is it?  What's happened?'  Ursa regained her footing, smiling up at her mother.

'It's what _going_ to happen,' said Richard.  'Your mother is a _very_ intelligent woman, and, I believe, has created something of a medical miracle. I think that calls for a celebration.'  He held up the bottle.  'Would you like a glass?'

'Richard, she's only thirteen,' said Andromeda, trying to sound stern, though she was still smiling.

'I'll be fourteen soon,' Ursa protested.

'Come on, Ann,' chided Richard.  'This is an important day, why can't she try a little?' 

At the pleading look on Ursa's face, Andromeda sighed.

'Okay, but _only _a little bit.'

'Excellent,' said Richard, and he set another glass on the table.

'Ursa, you go and get Sirius out of bed.  He'll want to hear this too,' said Andromeda excitedly.

Ursa nodded and went back upstairs.  She knocked loudly on the door.

'Sirius!  Mum's home – she wants us downstairs.  She – '

Pushing open the door, Ursa stopped in mid-sentence.

The room was empty.  The bedclothes were dishevelled and the window wide open, but Sirius wasn't there.  Feeling a bit silly talking to an empty room, Ursa went down the landing to the bathroom.  But the bathroom door was open; no one was there.

'Sirius?' Ursa called, heading back down the landing.  There was no answer.

Going back downstairs, she stuck her head into the living room.  Sirius wasn't there either.  Puzzled, Ursa returned to the kitchen.

'Mum, I can't find him,' she said.  'He's not in his room.'

'Did you check the bathroom?'

'Yes, he's not there.'

'Have either of you seen him this morning?' asked Andromeda.

Both Richard and Ursa shook their heads.

'I've been up since six and I haven't seen him,' said Richard.

'He must be over at Mrs. Fennel's,' she said slowly.  'We'll give him a few minutes.'

But a few minutes passed.  Then ten minutes … then twenty. 

Andromeda sighed impatiently.

'I'm just going to pop across the road,' she said, walking out into the hallway and out of the front door.

Over at her neighbour's house, Andromeda rang the doorbell.  The door opened and two little girls with large brown eyes peeked out. 

'Hello you two,' said Andromeda, smiling kindly at them.  'Is your mummy up?'

Almost on cue, Mrs. Fennel came striding down the hall.

'How many times have I told you two?  Don't open the door if you don't know who it is.  Oh, hello, Andromeda, how are you?'

'I'm fine, Irene, but I can't stop.  I just came over to fetch Sirius.'

Mrs. Fennel looked confused.

'Sirius?  I'm afraid he's not here.'

'He isn't?' said Andromeda, frowning.

'I haven't seen him for a while actually.  Not since … well, since he and Richard had that little misunderstanding,' she said awkwardly.  'How are things between you and Sirius?'

Andromeda heaved a sigh, shaking her head.

'To be honest, I have no earthly clue.  When your girls reach their teens you'll understand how difficult they can be.  Well, if you see him, could you tell him to get back home; I need to have a few words with him.'

Mrs. Fennel assured her that she would.

'He's probably just out for a walk,' she said.  'Poor boy's been cooped up for so long, not being able to see his friends.'

'His friends,' Andromeda repeated, suspicion evident in her tone.  She frowned darkly.  'I'll bet he's gone off to see them.  Irene, would you mind if I used your fireplace, if it's not too much trouble?  I'm afraid Richard's …' She gestured over her shoulder at her house.

'Not at all, you go right ahead.'  Mrs. Fennel stepped aside to let her inside.

Kneeling on the hearth, Andromeda took a pinch of Floo powder and sprinkled it into the crackling fire.  The flames turned green, then she closed her eyes and stuck her head into the fire, calling, 'Potters' residence.'

A warm wind blew across her face and when she next opened her eyes, she was looking out into a spacious kitchen full of the smell of sizzling bacon.  Ian Potter was seated at the table.  He glanced up at the fire.  A smile graced his handsome face.

'Andromeda, how nice to see you again.' He put down his coffee and stood up.

'Morning, Ian.  I'm sorry to just burst in like this, so early in the morning,' she said apologetically,  'but I was wondering if you'd seen Sirius.'

'Sirius?  No, of course not.  I was under the impression you'd forbidden him to see James for the rest of the summer.'

'That rule still stands,' she replied curtly,  'which is why I'm calling to make sure that he isn't with you.'

Ian frowned.

'You don't know where he is?'

'No, he's gone off without saying anything.'

'Well, hang on a minute, I'll ask James if he's seen him.'

Going out into the hallway, Ian called up the stairs for his son.  James came traipsing down the stairs.

'Yeah, Dad?'

'James, is Sirius here?'

James paused, looking at his father's stern expression with mild confusion.

'No,' he answered slowly.  'Why?'

'His mother's on the Floo, she's asking if we've seen him.  Have you heard from Sirius lately?'

James shook his head.

'No.  Not for ages.'

Satisfied, Ian went back to the kitchen fire.

'Sorry, James doesn't know where he is.'

'Okay, but if Sirius does turn up – '

'I'll make sure he goes straight home,' said Ian.

Nodding her thanks, Andromeda withdrew from the fire.  James stood in the doorway.

'Dad?  Is Sirius okay?'

'I should think so.  If Sirius does arrive, you let me know, alright?  His mother is not pleased with him – he's wandered off without saying anything.'

James nodded, his gaze lingering on the fire, and wondering.

*

'Well, he's not with Irene and he isn't at James' house,' said Andromeda, storming back into the kitchen.  'I called the Lupins but they haven't seen him and I couldn't get hold of the Pettigrews.'  She sighed and sat down heavily.  'I don't _believe_ this; where is he?'

'I wouldn't worry, Ann,' said Richard.  'Stupid boy's just fooling around.  He has to come back at some point.'

'Well, when he does, he'll be in big trouble,' she said darkly.  

Though they'd had a look round the kitchen and Sirius' bedroom, there wasn't a note anywhere to explain his whereabouts.

As the day wore on and Sirius still hadn't returned, Andromeda's anger gradually turned into concern, and then, as evening came, panic.

'Where _is _he?' she muttered, looking out of the living room window, peering up and down the darkening street.

'Don't worry, Ann,' said Richard placidly, for what must have been the fifteenth time that day.  'I'm sure he's on his way back right now.'

'That's what you said an hour ago,' Andromeda murmured under her breath.  She shook her head.  'He can't have just disappeared into thin air.  Something's happened, I'm sure of it.  Oh, Richard, what if he's been hurt?  What if he's been kidnapped?'

'Now, Ann – '

'Richard, it happens!' she cried, her voice rising shrilly.  'Children vanish without trace and are never seen again – I've read about it in the papers!  They disappear and nobody ever knows what's happened to them –'

Shaking from head to foot, Andromeda collapsed into the nearest chair, her hand over her mouth.  Eyes full of concern, Richard crouched beside her and took her hand.

'Ann, please, there's no need to get yourself into such a state.'

'My son is missing!'  Andromeda shrieked, staring incredulously at him.  

'Yes, yes, I know, just please calm down, Ann.  Panicking never helped anyone do anything.  I sincerely doubt that he's been kidnapped,' Richard chuckled dismissively,  'but if you're really that worried then I can go out and have a drive around the area; see if I can find him.'

Andromeda gazed up at him, a watery smile flittering across her pale face.

'Would you?  Oh, that would be wonderful, thank you.'

'Alright then, I'll be back in an hour … or as soon as I find him.'

'And I'll call the police,' said Andromeda, getting up.

Richard frowned.

'The police?  Whatever for?'

Andromeda spun round, staring at Richard like he'd grown another head.

'Richard, they ought to be informed when someone goes missing.  They can help look for Sirius.'

'Ann, I don't think you can declare someone missing unless they've been gone for over twenty-four hours.'

'He's been gone long enough,' she snapped.  'I'm calling the police.'

'Fine, fine,' Richard sighed, holding up his hands in mock surrender.  'I'll be back later.'

Andromeda waited for Richard to leave the house.  The moment his Volkswagen had pulled out of the driveway, she hurried off back to the living room.  Setting up the fireplace, she pulled a small pouch of Floo powder from her pocket.  Throwing a fistful into the fire, she shouted, 'Ministry of Magic!'

A nasally voice, followed by the heavily made-up face of a middle-aged woman, came through the fire.

'Good evening, Ministry of Magic, may I help you?'

'Magical Law Enforcement Department, please,' said Andromeda breathlessly.

'Certainly, please hold,' said the cheery woman.  The fire crackled and she vanished from sight.  In moments, a new face had materialised; a young man with short blond hair.

Good evening madam,' he said pleasantly.  'How can I help you?'

Wringing her hands, Andromeda struggled to keep her voice steady.

'I need to report a missing person,' she croaked.  'It's my son; he's disappeared …'

*

Within minutes of alerting the Ministry, two representatives from the Law Enforcement Department had arrived.  It was a credit to the Ministry, how fast their response times were.  What was less of a credit was the attitude of some of their employees.

The first officer, a young man with bright brown eyes and a face covered in freckles, introduced himself as Howard Sanders, offering Andromeda a friendly handshake as he stepped through the fireplace.  However, his pleasant demeanour was overshadowed by the man who followed him into Andromeda's living room, one Reginald Adler, whose face wouldn't have looked out of place on the rooftop of a cathedral.

After inviting them to sit down, Andromeda went to make a cup of tea to calm her nerves.  Sanders perked up at the offer but Adler coldly declined.   Doing her best to settle down in her chair, Andromeda clutched her mug tightly as Adler immediately began to question her.  Sanders leant over the coffee table, scribbling furiously on his parchment as Andromeda gave them a description of her son and answered Adler's questions as best she could.  When did she realise that Sirius was missing?  When did she last see him?  What was he wearing? Did she have any idea where he may have gone?

Adler's stolid face remained blank of any emotion throughout the interview, not taking his dark eyes off Andromeda as she spoke of her fear for her son's safety.

'He's never just taken off like this,' she sniffed.  'I think he may have been kidnapped.'

'I see,' said Adler, his tone flat.  'Ms Black, for what reason do you think your son may have been kidnapped?  Do you have any enemies?'

Andromeda shook her head.

'No.  I don't.'  She paused; her brow furrowed in thought, then firmly shook her head again. 

Adler raised an eyebrow.

'Ms Black, I understand that you and your husband are divorced?'

'How do you know that?' Andromeda glanced up in surprise.

'I've worked with your ex-husband on a number of occasions.' Adler's mouth twitched in what Andromeda assumed was a smile, then continued.  'How long have you been separated?'

'Nearly four years.'

'And does Sirius keep in contact with his father?  Do they get along?'

'They get along very well, as far as I'm aware,' said Andromeda.  'They write to each other … spend weekends and holidays together when they can … granted it's not very often, but they've remained close.'

'I see … and has your ex-husband been informed of the situation?'

'No, not yet.'  Pulling a tissue from her pocket, she delicately blew her nose.

Adler fell silent, his brow wrinkling as he pondered this.  Sanders shyly glanced up at Andromeda, and offered her a dry tissue.  She smiled her thanks just as Adler got to his feet.

'I'd like to take a look at the boy's room, if I may?'

'Yes, certainly, it's upstairs, first door on the left.'  

The inspection of Sirius' room was swift but thorough.  Adler circled the room without touching anything, his sharp eyes taking everything in, from the open window to the cat hair on the carpet.  He opened up the wardrobe and asked Andromeda if anything looked as though it were missing.  She glanced at the contents and shook her head, Sanders was still scribbling on the parchment as he doggedly followed Adler around the room.  Adler spent a bit of time at the window, peering down into the garden.

Andromeda wasn't sure of what to make of this, so she decided to ask.  Adler fixed her with a penetrating stare.

'Ms Black, while I find the notion of a kidnapping most dreadful, I must consider alternative explanations before proceeding.'

'Alternatives?' repeated Andromeda, not comprehending.  'What sort of alternatives?'

'Ms Black, does your son have a habit of going off without letting you know where he's going?'

Andromeda considered.

'Well, he doesn't always say where he's going, but he's always let me know when he's going out.  He's never just taken off without saying anything to me.'

'I take it that none of his friends know where he is?'

'I called them as soon as I knew Sirius wasn't here.  He's been grounded for this past week, you see, and I thought he may have sneaked off to see them but none of them have seen him.'

'Hmm,' said Adler.

'Sirius isn't a bad child,' insisted Andromeda, 'he's just very headstrong.  Sirius hasn't been getting along with my fiancé recently because he went to see his friends without asking Richard's permission, which is why he's been grounded.  Sirius wouldn't have gone off like this, not for this long.  I just _know _something's happened to him.'

Adler and Sanders exchanged a glance.  

'Ms Black, I don't wish to appear unsympathetic,' said Adler gruffly.  'But I'm afraid it's not very likely that your boy has been kidnapped.'

'What?' Andromeda blinked, staring with watery eyes.  'Officer, I know that Sirius isn't so foolish as to go off with someone that he doesn't know.  He's a very intelligent young man,' she snapped, starting to feel angry.  'He would _not _have gone with anyone of his own free will.'

'Unless he _knew_ the person,' said Adler pointedly.  'I'm not undermining his intelligence, but if he hasn't gone off with a stranger then it stands to reason that he may have gone with someone he knows.  A family member, for instance.'

Andromeda's mouth fell open, in horror and confusion, at the implication.

'What are you saying?  That _Orion's_ kidnapped Sirius?'  

'It's not unusual for the 'distant' parent to remove a child from the care of their ex without consent, I'm sorry to say.  We're not accusing him,' he added swiftly, seeing the look on Andromeda's face, 'it's simply a line of inquiry that we need to follow up.'

'I don't believe for one minute that Orion would do such a thing,' Andromeda said hotly.  'Obviously we don't get along anymore but I know him well enough to know that he would never concede to such a ludicrous idea.  He's a member of one of your squads for crying out loud!'

Adler's lack of facial expression was really starting to grate her nerves.  Adler breathed a sigh and said as patiently as he could, 'Madam, I know it does seem out of character for Orion; believe me, I have had the pleasure of meeting him, but I cannot rule out the possibility purely on the basis of where he works.  Now, another factor is that Sirius is a sixteen-year-old boy – not a typical kidnap victim.'

'That hardly rules out the possibility,' snapped Andromeda.

Adler cleared his throat loudly, irked at the interruption, and then carried on.

'Victims of kidnappers are often very young children, whilst older victims are almost always female.  You often find that the child wasn't being supervised and has either wandered off or has been led away by a stranger.  In the case of a teenager walking alone, a common scenario would be that they are attacked from behind,' (Andromeda went very pale) 'or sometimes they can be snatched into a vehicle or 'befriended' by a stranger who takes them away.  Now, seeing as you are certain that your son has enough sense not to be too chummy with a complete stranger, it points to either someone he knows … or a case of a runaway teenager.'

'Runaway teenager?'  Andromeda's voice rose shrilly.  A short laugh burst forth from her mouth in disbelief.  'I don't believe that anymore than I suspect my ex-husband of kidnap.  Why would Sirius run away?'

'I'd like to hear your answer to that,' said Adler bluntly.  'Do you know of any reason that may have caused him to run away from home?'

Andromeda looked affronted.

'No, I can't think of any reason why he would do such a thing.'

'Have there been any arguments recently?  Have you noticed any changes in his behaviour?  Has he ever mentioned anything about going somewhere else?'

'No, I don't think so.  He doesn't get along with my fiancé very well … I guess that's hardly a surprise, but there haven't been any recent arguments as far as I'm aware.'

'But there have been arguments before?'

'Yes.  Richard, my fiancé, forbade Sirius to see his friends after they turned up here in the middle of the night; I assume it was to play some sort of prank on Richard.  That was over a week ago.'  She shook her head.  'I'm sure he hasn't runaway.' But there was a nervous quiver to her voice.

'There is the fact that none of your son's clothes are missing, which suggests that this is a 'spur-of-the-moment' decision.  It's unlikely to have been pre-planned.'

'So there _is_ still a chance that he's been kidnapped?' said Andromeda.

'We'll keep an open-mind about that one,' said Adler, again giving the mouth-twitch smile.  'In the meantime, we'll alert everyone to be on the lookout for your boy and have a word with your ex-husband.  I'm sure he'll turn up safe and sound soon enough.'

Andromeda folded her arms, shaking with a mixture of anxiety and anger.

'Why do I get the feeling you aren't taking this seriously?' she asked, making every effort to keep her voice steady.

Sanders bit his lip, casting a sidelong glace at Adler, who frowned.

'Madam, I understand that you're upset – '

'No, I don't think you do,' said Andromeda, her eyes narrowing.  'Do you have children?'

'Yes.'

'How old are they?'

'Twenty-two and Twenty-five.'

'I see.  Tell me, if either of them disappeared without a trace would you be worried about them?  Do you think they would just turn up safe and sound, and not be at all concerned for their welfare?  Would you?'  Standing with her hands on her hips, Andromeda glared up at the frowning face of the officer before her.  Sanders slowly edged away, keeping his eyes on his parchment.  'I sincerely doubt that a child's sex and age makes _any_ difference when they vanish, leaving their parent to fear the worst.  My child is missing and I want him to come home safely.  Now, are you going to look for him, or are you going to waste time on stupid paperwork and procedures?'

Flustered, Adler puffed out his chest.

'Please, madam, I did not mean to offend you … we'll do all we can to bring your boy home.'

'Good,' said Andromeda shortly, still looking daggers at him.  From behind his back, Sanders was trying to hide a smirk.

After taking the names and addresses of Sirius' friends and his father's address, Andromeda showed Adler and Sanders back to the fireplace.  Adler went through first, a very disgruntled expression on his face, vanishing in a swirl of green flame.  Sanders held back, turning to Andromeda.

'He does mean it,' he said softly, 'about finding your son.  Adler's just a grumpy twat with no people skills, but he's good at what he does.'

Andromeda nodded, managing a small smile.

'Thank you.  I shouldn't have been so blunt but …' she trailed off, her eyes watering once more.  'I'm just so worried about Sirius.  If something's happened to him …'

Sanders shifted awkwardly but offered a reassuring smile.

'Try not to think the worst.  Things are rarely as bad as they first seem.  We'll do all we can.'

Andromeda smiled, hurried wiping away a tear.

'I'll let you know immediately if we find anything.'

Nodding her thanks, Andromeda offered him the Floo powder.  Taking care not to drop any on the carpet, Sanders sprinkled it into the fire and stepped through, returning to the Ministry in a roar of flame.

The room empty once more, Andromeda sank into the nearest armchair to wait, gazing out of window at the night sky.  Not a single star could be seen.

*

_Moony,_

_Still no news.  Dad says they haven't found anything yet.  Every time I hear a dog barking in the neighbourhood, I keep looking around, expecting to see him.  I'm sure if Sirius has skipped out he'll try to meet up with one of us.  If he turns up at your house, send Tally back a.s.a.p.  No sign of him here yet._

_Let Lily and Wormtail know._

_Prongs._

*

_Wormtail,_

_Keep your eyes and ears open for any news on Sirius.  I know it's not very likely he's going to show up on your doorstep since you're furthest away, but then again, Sirius does have a habit of doing the unexpected.  Let us know if you hear anything.  _

_Moony_

_Lily,_

_I don't know if you've heard but Sirius is missing.  No one has seen him since yesterday.  His mum thinks he's been kidnapped but personally I think Richard has something to do with this.  Keep an eye out, won't you?  Send Tally back if you hear anything._

_Moony_

*

_Dear James,_

_Remus told me about Sirius.  What is the Ministry doing about it??  I don't get the _Daily Prophet_ – really wish I did now – but you will let me know if there's any news, right?   Just a thought; do the Muggle police know? And I know people are on the lookout for a sixteen-year-old boy but maybe we ought to be keeping an eye out for 'Padfoot' as well.  I'll see if I can find anything in the Lost and Found column of the local papers, just in case._

_Love Lily_

_Prongs,_

_Aren't the Ministry doing what they can already?  An officer turned up this morning, asking if I knew where Sirius was but I don't know any more than you do.  Besides, what can we do?  We're so far apart and the owls aren't all that quick; they take at least a day to travel between us._

_Wormtail._

*

_Dear Lily, _

_The Ministry are doing what they can.  My dad says they're checking with the Knight Buses and the Floo Network to see if they can trace Sirius' magical signature that way, to see if he's used them recently.  No results from that just yet, but my dad says he'll check as often as he can.  I don't know if the Muggle police know, but the newspapers are a good idea.  I've had a look in the _Daily Prophet _but no luck there.  Let Moony know so he can check those in his area._

_Love James. _

_Wormtail,_

_Our friend is missing.  I want to find him.  If you care about him, make yourself useful.  Get hold of some Muggle newspapers; see if anyone's found a big black dog recently.  _

_Prongs._

*

_Dear Remus,_

_Still haven't heard anything.  James wants us to search Muggle newspapers for dogs that have been found – if Sirius has run away then he'll probably want to travel fast without being recognised.  I'm going to have a look round local animal shelters as well.  Are there any where you are?  Keep me posted._

_From Lily_

_Prongs,_

_Sorry, I didn't mean for that last letter to sound quite that pessimistic, I'm just trying to be realistic.  If Sirius doesn't want to be found, then we're not likely to find him.  He'll turn up when he wants to.  Although if Richard does have something to do with this, shouldn't we tell the Ministry about what we know?  _

_Wormtail_

_PS – No sign of any dogs where I am, black or otherwise._

_*_

James lay on his bed, rereading Peter's last letter.  Sighing heavily, he rolled it up and rested his head on his arms.  The calendar on the wall opposite had four red ink marks struck through the last few days.  It had been four whole days since Sirius had gone missing.  Four days without any sign of him or any progress made in the search.  James slowly reached up with his quill to draw another line over today's date.

'Five days, Padfoot,' James mumbled, his eyes straying to the framed photograph on the bedside table.  The four Marauders and Lily waved up at him, all scrawled on the couch in the Gryffindor common room.  There wasn't quite enough room for the five of them, so the photographic images of James and Sirius were animatedly shoving from either end, squashing everyone in the middle in the hope of pushing each other off the end.  The photo-Sirius went tumbling out of sight, reappearing moments later armed with a cushion and promptly started a pillow fight.

James sighed.  Where had his best friend gone?  How had he vanished without trace?  Was he okay?  Why hadn't he contacted any of them?  James had spent several days watching out for Cosmic in the hopes that the little cat would come baring another message.  But nothing had turned up.  Not one hint of his whereabouts.  The Ministry had found nothing.

Sirius had well and truly disappeared.

Glancing out of his bedroom window, James looked to the starry sky above.  The moon had just moved out of its full phase, now gradually starting to wane.  Against the velvety blackness of the sky, the stars glowed brilliantly.

Miles away, watching the same cluster of stars, was Ursa.  Leaning out of her bedroom window, she gazed up at the heavens with hollow eyes and dry tear streaks running down her cheeks.  Cosmic lay on the sill, unusually quiet and still, his eyes downcast.  The cat made no sound as Ursa ran her hand robotically over his fur.

She did not move when a soft knocking sounded on her door, not when Andromeda crept into the room.

'Ursa?'

Cosmic lifted his head and blinked up at motionless girl, but Ursa did not react.  Her sombre eyes remained locked on the sky.

'Ursa, it's past midnight.  You ought to go to bed,' said her mother tentatively.

'I'm not sleepy,' said Ursa, tonelessly.

Andromeda sighed.

'Please, Ursa, you need to get some rest.'

Still, Ursa remained standing at the window, as she had done for the past few nights.  Andromeda feared that she might have to resort to using a Sleeping Draught to get her daughter to rest.  Ursa had barely slept since Sirius had disappeared and she had barely spoken.

Andromeda moved to stand behind Ursa, putting an arm round her shoulders.

'They'll find him,' she said, softly.  'I know they will.'

Ursa dropped her gaze.  Cosmic rubbed up against her hand.

'I know you miss him, we all do,' said Andromeda, feeling her eyes welling with tears again.  She hurriedly wiped them away, not wanting to show how upset she really was.  She had to be strong for her daughter's sake.  'But I also know that Sirius wouldn't want you to make yourself sick.  Come on now, try to go to sleep.'  Gently, she drew Ursa away from the open window.

Ursa made not the slightest objection, allowing herself to be tucked into bed.  She lay there, eyes drawn back to the window, not even acknowledging her mother's good night kiss.  Andromeda stepped back, gazing down on her miserable child.  Nothing she said or did made the slightest difference.  Ursa missed her brother terribly, that was plain enough, and the only thing that was going to alleviate her fears was Sirius' return.  But, with every passing day, the hope that Sirius would be found was fading little by little.  The longer a child was missing, the more a parent feared the worse, creating more devastating scenarios in their mind, each more distressing than the last.

But what could a mother possibly say to her only other child, in a situation like that?

Unable to think of anything else to say, comforting or not, Andromeda slowly left the room, knowing that she too, was going to face yet another sleepless night.  The bedroom door closed.  Ursa sat up and pulled her stuffed panda down from the shelf.  Its glittering fur sparkled in the starlight as she looked at it.  Holding it close, Ursa lay back down, her eyes once again on the sky outside.

The star she spent the last few nights staring at shone weakly from amongst its fellows.

Silhouetted against the stars, Cosmic sat motionless on the ledge.  He was still there when Ursa finally drifted off in the early hours of the morning, and there he stayed until daybreak.

*

**To Be Continued**

*

**Author's Notes. **

**Christy – **I can't believe it's nearly done.  Only three more chapters!  Where did the time go??  I was supposed to have got a lot further on my next fic by now, but it's still not completely plotted!  *sigh*  There'll be a lot of short fics going up in the mean time; some of which I've been meaning to write for ages.

**Sweet A.K – **Thank you very much! ^_^

**Zorro x – **Thanks for saying so; hope to see you back.

**Jumpingjellybean – **Your French is excused *laughs*  Although I'm sure everyone is using the same word to describe Richard.  You want something awful to happen to him?  Hmm, I'll think about it. *evil cackle*  And thank you very much for reviewing twice. ^_^

**Black Rose9 – **Will Richard ever find out?  Well, there's only another three chapters to go, so you'll find out soon enough.

**Nie Starwhistler – **Thank you!

**Orion-San – **Hi again!  I was wondering where you'd gone.  Good to have you here, Orion! 

**Quiteona – **You were staying up until 1:30 in the morning, two nights in a row to read my fic?!  *Voltora stares in amazement*  Wow.   Thank you!!!!   Jeez, you must like it a lot!    Unfortunately, apart from this chapter (17) Lily and the other Marauders won't show up again until the final chapter.  They were never going to play a huge part in this.  But I'm glad that you agree with my portrayal of Peter; I feel like he needs to be shown in a more positive light every once in a while to remind people that he was once a Marauder and a good friend.

November 14th was the original 'end' post-date for Heart of a Star, but that was messed up when I couldn't get onto the site to post the third chapter, so I got behind by a week.  So the final chapter (assuming I can post the last few chapters without a problem) will be posted on November 21st instead.

Yes, it is pointless to beg me to post more often – doesn't stop some people though!  I do try to stick to making a regular post, and I now only ever post a completed fic.  I hate not knowing how it's going to end.  I made such a mess of my first fic; changing my mind and amending the storyline, but posting each chapter as I wrote it – madness.  The result was a very messy, plot lacking, grammar minefield!  So I re-plotted it, whipped it into shape, found a Beta reader, and reposted 'Tell No Lies'.  I got a much better result second time round, so I learnt my lesson.  Plan ahead and post fics only when they are ready.  (Another reason is to avoid discontinuing the fic – it drives me up the wall when authors do that to a really good fic that I'm reading!)

As for the time that I post; it varies slightly.  Earliest time would be about five (UK time) and I'd try not to post any later than ten.  But normally, I get the chapter posted at around six or seven.   If for some reason, I can't post on Friday evening, I'd try again on Saturday morning, but I've never had to resort to that yet, I'm pleased to say.  ^_^

Thank you very much for reading!!

**Semmel – **In response to your e-mail, whilst I'm very impressed with your theory, regretfully I have to say that you are not right.   However, I will say that you are an awful lot closer than anyone else with guess.  You're on the right sort of lines – I'm getting worried that you'll suddenly work it all out before the next chapter! ^_^  (And I appreciate that you didn't post it on the review page; very considerate of you.)   


	18. No Choice

**Chapter Eighteen: No Choice. **

_James!_

_I think I've found him!  There's a Muggle who lives about ten miles from me, who put an ad in the paper, saying he found a stray dog a few days ago, so I phoned him up.  From what he said it sounds like Padfoot.  Soon as I've finished this letter I'm going to head over there.  I managed to find a photo with Padfoot and me in it, just in case he asks for 'proof of ownership'.  Send Athena back immediately and I'll let you know._

_Love Lily_

_*_

_Moony!_

_Lily thinks she may have found Padfoot!  Some Muggle picked up a stray dog a while ago; she's gone to see if it's him.  Keep your fingers crossed._

_Hope you're feeling better after that last full moon._

_Prongs_

_*_

_Dear James_

_I'm really sorry – no joy.  It wasn't Sirius.  The Muggle was a nice old man; he was quite sympathetic about me 'losing my pet', but the dog he found is a black collie cross; definitely not Padfoot.  Still, I've been checking in the local animal shelters, but no large black dogs have come in recently.  I'll keep trying._

_Love Lily_

*

_Moony_

_False alarm.  It wasn't him.  Lily's still checking the animal shelters but no luck there either.  _

_Dad still hasn't heard any news from the Ministry, other than that they're still looking.  He's been gone for a week now – where is he?  He can't have dropped off the face of the earth.  He has to be out there somewhere._

_I hope he's okay, wherever he is._

_James_

_*_

Ever since Reginald Alder had come barging into his office a week ago, ordering him to the Interview Rooms, with little in the way of an explanation, Orion Black had not been in the best of moods.

Upon being informed by Sanders that his son was missing, Orion had immediately requested control of the investigation.  His superiors said no.  Quite apart from being understandably distressed by the situation, Orion had not expected to be turned down due to the fact that they believed him to be a suspect.

With a flaring temper and a few swift Floo calls later, Orion and Andromeda had managed maybe two minutes of civilised conversation before all hell broke loose.

While Andromeda knew in her heart that Orion would never snatch their son away from her, the turmoil of emotion and stress needed an outlet and so it promptly lashed out at the nearest and most convenient target.  In response, Orion flew into a furious rage, accusing his ex-wife of spending too much time with that 'ruddy Muggle' instead of her children, to which she answered by scathingly pointing out how little time _he'd_ ever spent with them.  

Sanders then summoned Orion back to the Interview Room, bringing their petty fight to an end.  But the damage had already been done.  Orion and Andromeda barely spoke to one another, using other people as a means of letting each other know how the search was progressing.  It was terribly awkward for all involved.

Orion had not been particularly cooperative during the questioning by members of his own department.  He had remained firm that he had no idea where his son was and that he had never considered taking either of his children away from their mother.  Orion's colleagues where obviously in silent agreement that this line of inquiry was bordering on ludicrous, but there was pressure from their superiors to follow set procedures, so the questioning continued. 

Over the past week, everyone who may have had some clue as to Sirius' whereabouts had been questioned, more than once.  The Floo Network was being monitored and the Knight Buses were on the alert for the missing teenager.

Orion poured himself a large brandy and sat down heavily on the couch.  His bloodshot eyes roamed the darkened living room, the flickering shadows dancing on the walls.  Tilting his head back, Orion downed the brandy in one gulp.  The bitter liquid burned his throat as he swallowed.  Orion had never been one to drink excessively, but it had a calming affect, making him feel at ease.  It chased away the doubts, the anxiety, and the fears; for a short time at least. 

Orion had been ordered to take some time off work.  His superior had informed him that she believed he needed to get away, even if only for a day or two.  It would do him some good if he could relax a little before he became 'too worked up and obsessive' about the case.   Orion had refined from telling her where she could stick her brazen assumption, and regretfully went home.  He felt mentally drained and, despite his silent objection, he couldn't deny that he needed a break.  

Stupid woman, he thought, swirling the brandy round in the glass.  Orion took a sip this time, savouring the taste as he turned his baleful gaze from the glowing fire over to the window. The sky outside was pitch black, the hammering of rain on the window mingled with the sound of the crackling flames.  Feeling unsettled and fidgety, Orion abruptly but the glass back down on the table. It was no good.  How on earth could he be expected to relax when his son was out there somewhere?

Many of his colleagues had expressed their sympathy towards him, along with several members of different departments as the news spread.  But sympathy wasn't going to get Sirius back.  His superiors had commanded Orion to stay away from the investigation – he wouldn't be able to cope with it in a professional manner, they said.  It was much too personal for Orion to be able to think straight.

They were wrong.  Orion was thinking plenty.

In between the questioning sessions, Orion had diligently used every contact he had within the Ministry to obtain any information on the search, as few people in his department were willing to divulge much without permission from their superiors, who were in agreement that Orion be treated no differently than any other suspect.  Orion had found the sympathy bearers especially helpful; many of them had children of their own and were anxious to help ease his concerns as to what was going on.  

Unfortunately, the results weren't as rewarding as Orion had hoped.  

So far, all they had deduced was that Sirius had vanished sometime between seven in the evening and eight the next morning.  His sister, Ursa, had been the last to see him after he had fallen ill.  None of the neighbours had seen or heard anything, Sirius' friends had all been questioned a number of times, all of them insisting that they hadn't heard from him either. Two officers, disguising themselves as Muggle law enforcers, when it was revealed that Andromeda's Muggle fiancé knew nothing of their world, had questioned Richard.  But all to no avail.  Sirius hadn't left a note, he hadn't mentioned anything to anyone about going off somewhere and he hadn't taken anything with him.  With no sign of forced entry to the house, the logical conclusion was that Sirius had left of his own accord.  

Taking another sip of his brandy, Orion mulled over the possibilities in his mind again.

Could Sirius have run away from home?  For what reason?  As far as Orion was aware, Sirius didn't like Richard, Andromeda's fiancé, but that didn't sound like reason enough. Lots of divorced families experienced some friction when someone new came into the picture.  It wasn't a major issue, surely. Orion scowled his displeasure at the thought.  He would rather try to pull a tooth out of a rabid Nundu's mouth than admit to his true feelings on the matter.  If Andromeda was getting married again, that was her business, not Orion's.

Orion put the brandy glass a little harder than he intended; the alcohol slopped out of the glass and spilt over the table.  Grumbling, Orion jabbed his wand irritably, the mess drying up in moments. Now was not the time to dwell on that, he told himself sternly.  He should be more focused on his missing son.

He leaned back in his chair, forcing himself to concentrate.  

The kidnap scenario had been the one he'd held onto the longest, because there was always a chance of the kidnappers demanding a ransom for the victim's safe return.  Just one problem: why Sirius?

A possible solution was Andromeda.  Her research team had experienced several break-ins these past few months.  Their work was supposed to have been top-secret, but somehow that information had been leaked out.  Perhaps, Orion reasoned, whoever was behind the break-ins had decided to take it a stage further.

Orion closed his eyes.  He sincerely hoped not.  If these two incidents were connected …

No.  They couldn't be, he kept telling himself.  No matter if it appeared to be a fairly plausible explanation, there was one major flaw with it; no one had contacted them to demand a ransom.  Too much time had passed for that scenario to be of any logical merit.  

Orion did not want to consider the possibility that some madman had just snatched Sirius off the street as a random target.  

His hands began to shake. Orion took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes.  He'd seen a few murder scenes during his years of service.  One in particular stood out in his mind.

Just a few months before Sirius' birth, Orion had been called out to the back streets of London in mid-December.  A light snow covered the pavement of the alleyway where the tiny body had been found.  A little girl, no older than eight, had vanished a few days previously.  A homeless person had discovered the hex-covered body, half hidden in a rubbish-skip; he'd recognised the marks as hex wounds and had contacted the Ministry rather than the Muggle police.  

Orion had never been so deeply shaken by such a tragic sight.  The image of the child's blank staring eyes against the deathly-white skin stood out so much more clearly in his mind's eye than the actual experience.  Those pale eyes had held Orion's gaze, asking but one question.  _Why?_

A month later, the girl's uncle had been charged with the abduction, rape and murder of the child.  But what good did that do for the family that then had to come to terms with it and carry on without their beloved child? 

Orion had never been able to shake that memory from his mind, nor did he want to.  It was a permanent reminder of many things; what kind of monsters there are in the world.  It struck him as ironic that so many wizards kicked up such a fuss over the threat of werewolves and giants and other such beasts, when it was humans that accounted for the most horrific and evil acts ever committed.  A werewolf or a giant acted on pure instinct, they behaved as nature created them to be; but a human can make a choice, it can plan, calculate; a human knows what it's doing … what pain it is causing.  The self-righteous wizards who denounced the 'monsters', campaigning for their destruction were hypocrites.     

It was a reminder of what Orion worked for, why he did it.  Why he spent so much time away from his own family – to help protect other families from such tragedies.  They had been too late to help that little girl; and Orion swore, as he returned home that evening to his pregnant wife, that he would never allow that happen again, not if he could do something about it.

But never, in a million years, did Orion stop to think that, one day, his own family might experience the same horror the girl's family endured that Christmas.  It was one of those things that happened to 'somebody else'.  Truth was, everyone was 'somebody else' to everyone else in the world.

Covering his face with his trembling hands, Orion tried to block out the hideous mental images of that alley, only this time, the child in the snow wasn't that little girl; it was Sirius.

The rain fell harder, lashing against the windows.  The wind howled, sending the trees of the nearby forest swaying.  A bolt of lightning tore through the sky with an almighty crash.  Thunder rumbled overhead.

So pre-occupied with his thoughts and haunted memories, it was a while before Orion detected another sound amid those of the raging storm.

Orion slowly looked up.  Frowning, he listened carefully.  There it was again.  A tapping noise, slightly louder than before, was coming from the hallway.

Someone was at the front door.

Heaving himself up from the couch, Orion went out into the hallway, removing his wand from his belt as he went.  He could hear the knocking clearly now.  Orion scowled.  If it was one of those damn _Daily Prophet_ reporters again … He had hoped hexing that last one with walrus tusks would have been enough to deter them, but apparently not even a summer storm was going to keep the most determined of reporters away.

Gripping the wand firmly, Orion stomped over to the door.  He'd had enough of this.  He grabbed the handle, yanked it open and raised his wand.

He opened his mouth … but no sound came out.  Losing grip on his wand, Orion stood frozen.

Sirius, soaked to the skin, stood anxiously on the edge of the doorstep.   His pale blue eyes flicking from the wand to his father's pallid face, he offered a small, nervous smile.

'Hi Dad,' he whispered hoarsely against the wind.  Shivering uncontrollably, he staggered.  In an instant Orion had his arms around him, drawing him inside out of the pouring rain as another roll of thunder rumbled overhead.

Slamming the door on the storm, Orion held his son tightly, allowing Sirius to lean on him.  His clothes were soaked through.  His long scraggly hair was plastered over his face, water dripping from it as fast as the falling rain outside.  Barely conscious, Sirius was struggling to stay on his feet.  Orion lifted his son into his arms, quickly took him into the living room and laid him on the sofa.

Closing his eyes, Sirius slumped like a rag doll.  Orion honestly didn't know if he'd fallen asleep or fainted.  Orion worked quickly, casting a number of spells; the fire in the grate flared, the flames leaping higher, the couch sluggishly slid across the floorboards closer to the warmth. Just as he waved his wand and Sirius' wet shirt was stripped off his body, Orion stopped.  Frowning, he leaned over his son for a closer look.  

There was a dark mark, like a faded bruise, encircling his neck.  Similar marks were visible across his chest and stomach, a few turning a nasty yellow-green.  His gaze slowly travelling back up to Sirius' face, Orion spotted another mark, this one clear evidence of a cut just under his hair, as though something had struck him hard to the side of his head.

Tentatively, as though to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him, Orion gently brushed Sirius' hair off his face.  His fingertips touched the wound lightly, but almost immediately, Sirius stirred, a grimace of pain flashing across his pale features.  Orion quickly withdrew his hand, and snapping himself out of his reverie, conjured a thick blanket, wrapping it around his son's shivering body, hiding the wounds.

Gazing about him feverishly, Sirius tried to speak.  'Dad?' he croaked, his eyes half open.

'I'm right here,' said Orion, moving to crouch beside Sirius.  'Are you alright?' he asked, his voice shaking.  His son's face was horribly pale, the dark bruising standing out in sharp contrast, drawing Orion's unwilling gaze once more. 

'Cold,' Sirius mumbled, shivering more violently.

Putting a hand to his forehead, Orion was not surprised to find it sweaty and warm.  

'Wandering around in a storm,' he muttered distractedly, casting another spell. 'You'll be lucky if you don't get pneumonia …'

'Sorry,' whispered Sirius, closing his eyes once more.  He sounded absolutely exhausted.  

'Ssh,' said Orion softly.  'Go to sleep.  You'll feel better in the morning.'

Sirius didn't reply, but it was a while before his breathing became slow and regular.  Orion stayed beside him through the night, leaving only to fetch a book on Healing magic.  Between checking Sirius' temperature regularly and casting whatever Healing magic he thought might help, Orion pondered what to do next.

He had been on the verge to alerting the Ministry, but stopped, reminding himself that fire lost its heat when used for Floo travel and messages.  No, his priority was to take care of his son.  The Ministry could wait.

Brushing Sirius' hair off his face, Orion's memory took him back to that murder scene.  The pale face of the child blurred in his mind once more, merging with the one before him.  Blinking hard, Orion gently took Sirius' icy hand in his, thanking whatever powers that existed in the world that his son was alive.

Finally moving the armchair right next to the couch, Orion settled himself down, eventually falling asleep beside his son.

*

When he awoke the following morning, Orion could not find the words to describe the immense relief and joy that welled up inside him when he laid eyes on his son, still quite pale, but offering a tired and contented smile as he tried to wriggle out of the tightly wrapped blanket, making light-hearted complaints that he was too hot.

Watery sunshine pouring in the window illuminated the small room, the storm having passed.  The fire had gone out.  Orion heaved himself up out of his chair, stiff from his awkward position, but quickly reached for his wand and book.    

'How are you feeling?' he asked, kneeling down beside Sirius.

Sirius shifted about, freeing an arm from the confines of the blanket.

'Better,' he said, his voice croaky.

Orion felt his forehead.  Sirius squirmed.

'Dad -'

'I'm only going to take your temperature, don't fuss.'  Orion rolled his eyes, taking a thermometer and holding it out.  Sirius reluctantly opened his mouth to accept it.  Sirius had never been one to cooperate when he was ill.  

When Sirius was six and he'd had dragon-pox, he'd snuck out of the house to play with the neighbourhood Muggle kids and had ended up being violently sick in the play park.  One of the children had run over to Sirius' house to tell his parents what had happened, but Sirius still had to be bodily removed from the climbing-frame because he stubbornly refused to go home.  Orion had not been amused at the time, carrying a screaming six-year-old down the road, only to get home and be met with a Ministry representative and a Healer who feared that the Muggle children might have caught dragon-pox.  All of them had had to be checked over and Memory Charmed. Orion shook his head at the recollection; thanking his lucky stars that Sirius had rarely fallen ill.  He looked down at his teenaged son, removed the thermometer and read it.

'Thirty-eight,' he said.  'Still a little high, but that's better than last night.'  

'I feel fine,' Sirius insisted in the middle of a yawn, attempting to sit up.  Orion stopped him with a pointed stare.

'You are _not _fine, Sirius.  Anyone who takes to wandering around in the middle of a thunder storm without so much as a coat on is asking for trouble; usually in the form of pneumonia.'

Sirius frowned, blinking uncomprehendingly up at his father.  Orion stared.

'Sirius, do you not remember how you got here?' he asked incredulously.  Thinking hard, Sirius slowly shook his head.  

'Not really,' he said.  'I remember getting wet, but that's about it.'

'Right,' said Orion, standing up.  'You stay right where you are while I make you some tea.'

'Tea?'  Sirius threw a glance at the window.  'Isn't it still early?'

'A _cup _of tea,' Orion clarified.

'I'd prefer coffee,' Sirius said hopefully.

'Caffeine won't do you any good, you need rest,' said Orion over his shoulder as he strode out of the living room. 

He returned a short while later with a teapot full of herbal tea, and some dry clothes.  Sirius gratefully put them on, visibly appreciative of the fresh, clean clothes.  Keeping the thick woollen blanket round him, Sirius accepted the steaming mug of chamomile, tentatively took a sip and pulled a face.

'It's good for you,' said Orion pointedly, before Sirius could comment.

'My taste buds disagree,' Sirius muttered under his breath, though he took another sip.

Orion smiled indulgently, but it waned quickly as he watched Sirius closely.  So far, Sirius had offered no explanation for his disappearance, or his abrupt re-appearance, or the marks on his body. But Sirius didn't seem in any hurry to do so, especially as Orion's shape eyes caught the winces of pain his son made when he moved, though he tried to hide it.   Orion felt a stab of guilt, remembering how ill Sirius had been the night before.  It seemed harsh, but Orion nevertheless felt compelled to exercise a little parental authority.

'Sirius, where have you been?' he asked, quietly but firmly.

Sirius nearly spat his tea back into the mug.  Coughing, Sirius hastily recovered and forced a smile that didn't reach the sudden frantic look in his eyes.

'Where've I been?' he repeated nervously.  'Oh, um, nowhere …'

Orion stared in bafflement.  Shivering slightly, Sirius hastily avoided his father's gaze.

'Sirius?  Are you okay?'  Orion leaned forward, gravely concerned.  Sirius didn't look up, pulling the blanket tighter around himself.

'I'm fine,' he said, speaking to his lap.  His hands were shaking, and not with the cold.

Orion leaned forward, peering into his son's face.  Hesitantly, Sirius' pale blue eyes looked up at him from under his long black hair.

'Sirius, I'm not mad at you,' Orion spoke softly, not understanding why Sirius was behaving like a caged animal all of a sudden.  'I'm so happy that you're safe.  Everyone's been so worried about you.  How … how did you get here?' he asked, suspicion creeping into his voice.  'You can't have used the Floo or the Knight Bus; we've been monitoring them since you … went missing.'

Sirius licked his dry lips, and then took another sip of his tea as though to give himself time to decide how to answer.  

'I walked,' Sirius murmured, lowering his gaze and clutching his mug tightly.

'Walked?' Orion repeated incredulously.  'But, Sirius … for over eighty miles?  Without being seen?'

Numbly, Sirius nodded.  He could feel his father's penetrating stare on him, wishing he knew what to say.  The safety and warmth he'd revelled in upon waking and finding himself in this safe haven, was abruptly in danger from the dark memories Sirius had been trying so hard to suppress, to block out of his mind.  It felt wrong to bring it here of all places.  But wasn't that why he'd come?  Sirius closed his eyes, against the onset of a headache.  It hurt just to consider it.  He couldn't make sense of his thoughts … there was too much …

Sirius gave a start as Orion slowly sat down beside him, putting an arm around his shaking shoulders.

'Sirius I don't know how in Merlin's name you could have managed that, but I'm glad you're safe.'  Orion brushed Sirius' messy hair off his face, but Sirius determinedly avoided meeting his eyes.

'What happened to you?  Your mother's frantic – she thinks you've been kidnapped.  We all did.  You just vanished into thin air; no one had any idea where you were, and we were so scared that something had happened to you.'

Jerkily, Sirius shook his head.

'No,' he whispered, forcing the words out before he could change his mind about telling the truth.  He took a deep breath.  'I – I ran away.'

The arm around his shoulder stiffened.  His father said nothing; waiting for an explanation, but not daring to push for an answer.

Sirius was struggling to get a grip on his thoughts, steeling himself for what he wanted, what he _needed_ to say.  He had to make his father understand, he had to know, Sirius needed him to believe …

Breathing faster than normal, Sirius closed his eyes, and suddenly, words came spilling out of his mouth, tumbling over each other in his haste to explain.  His shaking voice full of fear and self-disgust, Sirius barely listened to what he was saying; his mouth was seemed to be on autopilot, releasing all the pent-up emotions that had building up for long as he spoke of returning home on the Hogwarts Express, meeting Richard for the first time, the day at the fair, the night he'd come home late to find Richard waiting for him, his mother's ban of everything magical … and the beatings.

Sirius' hands were shaking and sweating, and his stomach was churning but he kept going.  Now that he'd started, it felt easier to continue.  He couldn't afford to stop now.  He was vaguely aware of Orion sitting frozen beside him in uneasy silence, listening but not daring to interrupt, for which Sirius was grateful.  

It was quite some time before Sirius had talked himself into silence, finishing off with the last confrontation and his sudden impulse to run … to get away … 

'I couldn't stay there any longer … I needed to get out … so I did … I got up and climbed out the window … I didn't know what I was doing really – I just wanted, 1 _needed,_ to get away … and I just kept going …'

'So you came here?' said Orion, his voice low.

Sirius closed his eyes, still not looking at his father.

'I wasn't sure where I was going to be honest.  Didn't really think about it.  I wanted to be as far away from _him_ as I could get.'  Slowly, Sirius looked up, his blue eyes hollow and frightened, like those of a caged wild animal.  'I don't want to go back.'

Orion sighed, a horrible twisting in his gut.  He had a nasty suspicion about that ever since he'd woken up this morning.  The silent plea in his son's gaze made him hesitate, but not for long.

'Sirius, you can't stay here,' said Orion, regretfully.

'Why not?' said Sirius, with a hopeful half-smile. 'I won't cause any trouble, I promise.'

'It isn't that.'

'I can clean the house,' Sirius offered quickly, 'and I can cook.  I won't be lazy and mope around the house – '

'Sirius.'

The firmness of his father's tone silenced Sirius in an instant.  The hopeful smile faded.  

'Sirius, you know very well that I would love to have you stay with me,' said Orion.  'But you can't.  I don't have legal custody of you.'

'Isn't there a way you get it?' asked Sirius.  'Make the court change their mind or something?'

'Those sort of procedures take time.  I can't just nip off to the Ministry and have it sorted out by dinnertime.'  

'No one has to know I'm here,' said Sirius.  'You said so; everyone thinks I'm still missing.'  He paused, his expression anxious.  'You – you _haven't _told anyone, have you?' 

'Sirius, you _can't_ stay here – the Ministry is under the impression that _I_ kidnapped you.  If someone finds you here, the courts may very well decide that I won't be permitted to see you or Ursa _at all_, and what good will that do either of us?  And in answer to your question, no, I haven't.  But I have an obligation to … and so do you.'

'Me?'

'Yes.'  Sirius' hope faded under the stern look his father now gave him.  'You have to let your mother know where you are.'

'What?  No, I can't.'  Sirius shook his head.

'Sirius, she at least deserves to know that you're safe.  She's been absolutely frantic.  And from what she's told me, Ursa can't sleep at night, not knowing where you are.'

Sirius dropped his gaze, blinking hard.

'She'll want me to go back,' he whispered.  

'If she does, then neither you nor I can say otherwise.'

'But Dad, I _can't!' _Sirius cried desperately.  'Richard's crazy!  He'll kill me if I go back!'

'Sirius, calm down – '

'I'll calm down when you've heard me out!  Look!'  Pulling down the neck of his shirt, Sirius showed Orion the fading marks encircling his neck.  'See these?  You want to know how I got them?  That crazy Muggle attacked me because I stood up for Ursa and myself.  He tried to strangle me and he punched me in the stomach so hard I threw up … I really thought I was going to die … I was terrified … _that's _why I ran away that night; I can't stay under the same roof as a lunatic who thinks it's okay to do _this_.' Sirius' voice shook as his father stared at the bruises, a strange blankness in his eyes, like he wasn't really seeing anything.  'Please don't make me go back.'

A few moments passed in uneasy silence.  The only sound was Sirius' ragged breathing as he waited for his father's decision.

It seemed like hours before Orion finally pulled his gaze from the healing wounds on his son's body and met his stare.  Sirius felt the hope inside him wither away.  His father didn't need to say anything.  The answer was in his eyes.  Sirius blinked hard, turning away.

'Sirius, I'm sorry,' said Orion, the bitterness in his voice adding salt to the mental wounds.  'If your mother wants you home then you have to go.  I don't have a choice.'  Sirius didn't turn around.  He tried to swallow the lump in his throat but it wouldn't shift.  'But I promise you I do what I can.  I'll see what I can do through the legal system to investigate this Richard fellow.  I'll find a way to get you out of there, I promise – '

'Dad, _please_ …'

Hearing the quiet desperation in his voice, Orion teetered for a moment between obeying the law and doing what he wanted to do.  But Orion had lived his life by obeying the laws, which was perhaps the reason why Sirius rarely followed rules.  He didn't understand.  But maybe in time he could forgive Orion for it.

'I'm sorry,' said Orion, having no other words to express it.

Sirius didn't say another word.  His last hope was gone.  

There was no choice for either of them.

He was going back.

*

**To Be Continued.  **

*

**Author's Notes.  **

**MorganD – **You know what I really like about having you review my fics?  You give me such helpful advice and fair criticism without sounding in the least bit harsh or rude about it.   You tell me the truth about the mistakes I make and give honest reasons as to why, which I really appreciate. 

Okay, first point; about Andromeda not telling Richard about being a witch yet accepting a marriage proposal.  Anyone remember Seamus Finnigan in book one, chapter seven?  "I'm half and half,' said Seamus.  "Me dad's a Muggle.  Mam didn't tell him she was a witch 'till after they were married.  Bit of a nasty shock for him."  That comment just made me think that that kind of situation must come up once in a while between Muggle and magical familes.  (Granted, it's a bit of a worry as to how that marriage worked out; there's never any mention of Seamus' father in the later books.)   But yes, I do confess that there should have been a bit more discussion about it.

I do agree that there's a bit too much 'Muggle' stuff going on.  It's just trying to keep track of everything, making sure there's nothing blatantly magic going on under Richard's nose and trying to keep the story going – my poor brain cell is all tired out.  Too much to remember!  (Makes me wonder how J.K Rowling manages; she must have a great memory, or a mountain of notes to constantly refer to!)  Anyway, I'm glad that you're still enjoying this fic, despite the mistakes and contingency errors – still, if someone doesn't point them out, how can I improve?  

Many thanks to you MorganD.  ^_^

**Christy – **When I plotted the whole fic out, I wanted to have a father-son chapter without any of the other characters muscling in; hence the lack of Orion in the last chapter.  Hmm, never considered the brooms being picked up on radar.  I suppose we just assume that they're 'cloaked' by a spell of some kind, or else the Ministry deals anyone that does spot a broom flying through the air.  Still, it's a shame that we don't see a bit more of the Muggle world in the books, other than Privet Drive (and what a miserable place that is!)  Well, though Andromeda doesn't want to link Sirius' disappearance with her research, Orion is thinking a bit more clearly and has considered it.  But now that Sirius has turned up and admitted to running away, it's no longer relevant to the current situation.

**NightSpear – **Yep, Orion was the best bet for Sirius' destination.  Though having his father believe him is sadly not helping an awful lot.  If I keep this level of Sirius' torture up I may find a lynch mob outside my door before long. *Voltora wisely decides to find a good hiding place … just in case*

**Black Rose9 – **It's awesome to have you review again and again!  ^_^  Enjoy the chapter!

**TiniTinuviel – **Thank you!  Well, you guessed right with Orion, you just had a lot of other ideas too. ^_^

**WallyTheWhale – **Of course I missed you!  I was wondering where on earth you'd gone!  Normally I get a review from you within a few days, but you just vanished like Sirius did!  Great to have you back again!

Ick, centipedes!  What do they need all those legs for?  Spiders are bad enough with eight!  Secret fic reading, eh?  My family knows I read and write fanfiction and they don't tease me, they just get on my nerves when they tell me I ought to be writing 'my own stuff'.  If I had an idea for an original story I would!!  They don't understand my Harry Potter 'obsession'.  It's so much fun and I get such a buzz when I receive fantastic comments from people like you.  I've even tried to get my mum to read some of my fics, but she doesn't seem interested so I don't bother now.  *sigh*   Okay, rant over, back to your review.

LOL!  Captain Cheesy!  I can't stop laughing at that!  And you were correct, Sirius went to Orion's but sadly it didn't work out as well as he'd hoped.  I feel awful doing this to him!  His father does believe him, don't get me wrong, but Orion's view is that by law Sirius must return home to his mother, or else Orion will be in deep trouble and accused of kidnapping his own son, and the situation would go drastically downhill and Orion will be unable to help. (Was that a sentence??  Me tired, need sleep.  Got to go to work tomorrow.)  He's only doing what he thinks is right.

See, Andromeda isn't all bad.  She's a caring mother when it comes down to it, but she's had more than enough hassle with the Richard-Sirius conflict so don't expect her to be too welcoming in the next chapter.  

Yep, Sirius did travel as Padfoot. It made sense as so few people know of his illegal power.  Actually, by the time scale, it's roughly the middle of August.  If term starts at the beginning of September there's only two or three weeks left to go.

It was really odd writing a chapter without my main character in it.  Very bizarre.  But enjoyable.  I couldn't wait to write it when I began plotting the fic out.

**Zorro x – **Aw, I'm sorry, but one chapter a week is my rule; and I don't intend to bend it for any fic that's twenty chapters or shorter.  (The length of my next multi-chapter fic is scary, that one will definitely have twice-weekly updates.)  I love cliffhangers!  It's wonderful to get people review, or rather screaming at me in a vain attempt for an earlier update.  *evil cackle*  

**Prongs4 – **Oh, unfortunately for Sirius, he's going home next chapter.  Don't expect Richard to put out the welcome mat.

**Sophocles – **LOL! Well, I'm kinda hoping that you haven't 'snuffed it' yet and will still be able to read the remaining chapters; it's really not that long a wait!  Though I could be really evil and decide to postpone updates … I'm kidding!  I wouldn't really.  ; )   Glad you like so much you'd consider that!

**Nie Starwhistler – **Yeah, he couldn't mope around for too long; something had to give.   I'm really very pleased that so many people have commented on my 'nice' portrayal of Peter.  I've had the idea for a short fic based on Peter for a while now but wasn't sure if it would go down well.  Seeing the good responses so far, it may even be the next fic to go up.  (My next major long fic is unlikely to be posted for ages, so there are several short pieces in the works.)

**Quiteona – **Although I don't actually verify it in the fic, Sirius did transform and travelled to his father's house in his Animagus form; hence why there were no sightings of him.  Only four other people know he's an legal Animagus so who's going to look twice at a large black dog?   You've got a lot of questions and they will be answered in due course.  Sorry, I would have e-mailed you but I only checked my reviews about an hour before posting this chapter, so it seemed a tad pointless as you'd find out the chapter title here anyway! ^_^

**Sirius' sweetie – **Well, I guess this chapter answers a few of your questions. ^_^  Glad you like it!

**Enna seawave – **Thank you.  I hope you'll enjoy the rest of it.

**Yoda – **Hey Yoda! *big hug*  No idea if you've got this far yet, but you're getting a comment anyway.  I did get your e-mail but I haven't written back yet.  I will write soon, promise!  And I'm really pleased that you like this fic so far; you'll get to read the bulk of it without having to wait for an update!  ^_^

**Semmel – **Wow!  Semmel, I'm extremely impressed!  Though I did hesitate as to whether or not to confirm the contents of your e-mail, I can't just resist since you've worked so hard to figure it out.  You are about 90% correct!  One statement was not right, and the reasons for it shall become clear in a later chapter (not that there's many left!)   

You came up with some great ideas about where Sirius was and why, though now I feel like kicking myself for not bring Ursa into the conversation between Sirius and his father. *Voltora promptly kicks herself*  Ouch. Okay, and Sirius did transform into Padfoot to get away, and yes he wasn't in a great state so it did take some time for him to travel a fair distance

Your final results were highly amusing!  

You know, a very small part of me is feeling disgruntled that someone's figured the bulk of it out, but hey, it took you a while!  And you still don't know which of your 'statements' is incorrect.  It could be any one of them.  Ah ha!  *evil smirk*  Hey, I have to try and keep you in the dark for a little while longer.  ^_^  And since no one else has figured it out yet, I grant100 points to your House, Semmel!


	19. Darkness Brewing

**_Author's Notes.  _**__

_Hi everyone.  I'm sorry that I missed my last post-date, but unfortunately, Lil Lupin, my hardworking Beta reader, fell ill recently and was unable to get chapter nineteen back to me in time.  Apologies for the delay but it couldn't be helped.  She's feeling better now and has returned chapter twenty to me, so there won't be any delay in next weeks update._

_~Voltora~_

**Chapter Nineteen: Darkness Brewing. **

It was the longest journey Sirius had ever undertaken. At least, that was how it felt.  A dark churning sensation was growing steadily in the pit of his stomach as the scenery rolled past the window.  Sitting in the backseat of the Ministry car, Sirius closed his eyes, dreading the arrival at their destination.  

Orion sat in the front passenger seat next to the driver.  Several times, he looked over his shoulder at his son, perhaps about to speak, but remaining silent.  His grey face tired and worn, Orion felt as drained as Sirius.  Neither had spoken to the other since early that morning, when Orion had contacted the Ministry.

Learning that Sirius had been found, officials from the Law Enforcement patrol immediately dispatched officers Adler and Sanders to fetch him.  They had arrived at the cottage with a _Daily_ _Prophet_ reporter in tow, equally curious as to where Sirius had been all this time.  

Sirius hadn't said a word to anyone.  He simply glared when a question was directed at him, and refused to acknowledge any of them, leaving his father to explain, although Orion's explanations were primarily evasive comments, insisting that Sirius needed to be taken home.

Sirius got into the back of the car beside Sanders, still maintaining a verbal strike towards his father, and try as Orion might, the wall between father and son held fast.  Sirius hadn't so much as looked at him after their earlier conversation.

The journey could go on forever for all Sirius cared.  He didn't want to go home and he didn't want to be with his father.  Anywhere else was fine with him.  Just to be away from everything and everyone.  Sanders seemed far too cheerful for Sirius' liking.  Given Sirius' complete lack of cooperation, Sanders' attempts at making pleasant conversation were rapidly thwarted.  Alder, concentrating on driving, scowled his disapproval of Sanders' friendly approach.

It wasn't fair.  Why couldn't Sirius stay with Orion?  He was his father; why did some legal court preceding have to give the okay for them to live together?   Then Orion 'promising' to investigate Richard through a legal system – Richard was a Muggle, what in Merlin's name could they possibly find?  _The git's too smart to get caught,_ Sirius thought savagely.  _Not that you'll accept any proof, even if it's bruises on your own son's body!_

Sirius' gaze drifted to the back of his father's head.  The twisting in his gut seemed to be affecting his heart too.  It felt unnaturally dark and heavy.

_I trusted you,_ Sirius whispered bitterly inside his mind.  _I thought you'd help me – but you're just like everyone else.  _

Orion shifted uncomfortably, as though he could feel Sirius' angry glare upon him, burning a hole in the back of his head.

_Who else was I going to turn to for help?  I can't go to Mum … I can't go to my friends … you were the only one left.  You promised me you'd help; how is sending me back to that hellhole helping?  I told you what he did!  I _showed _you what he did to me!  Don't you believe me?  Oh, no, of course not; I'm just a bratty teenager, of course I lie about everything and cause trouble for everyone!  So what – I don't give a rat's arse if you don't believe me; no one else does. Why did I expect you to be any different?  Oh, that's right, you're my father!  Why the _hell_ don't you trust me?_

Sirius clenched his fists, digging his nails deep into his palms.

_You never did anything to help us, did you?  You made all those promises to Ursa and me - how many of them did you actually keep?  Did you just say them to make yourself feel better?  Because I don't recall you keeping all that many.  Work, work, work; that's what's important to you – never mind your kids; we obviously come second.  Always have done._

Squeezing his eyes shut, Sirius could feel his whole body shaking. The fury and frustrations pent up within were taking a joyride with his emotions, a pounding headache mounting rapidly.  And, at that moment, he just didn't care. 

_You lied to me.  All this time, I thought you were the greatest; I believed you could solve anything, all I had to do was tell you and you'd find a way to make it okay again.  Shows what a damn fool you've got for a son, doesn't it?  Why else would I have come all this way to find you?  _

The mental diatribe refused to let up.  It carried on and on, screaming silently through Sirius' mind to the point where he wanted more than anything to open his mouth and let it all out.  His father deserved to know what his son's opinion of him was.  

_You can do something about this, you just don't want to! _ Sirius accused him.  

His father, unsettled by the prickling feeling of being watched, cautiously turned his head.   A cold stare met his eyes.  The ice-blue eyes of his son blazed with a cold fire; a furious turmoil of hurt, confusion and anger all evident in that one momentarily glare before Sirius pointedly turned away, staring back out of the window.

_I can't even stand to look at you, _Sirius said silently, wishing that his father could read minds; at least then he'd know exactly how he'd made Sirius feel.

As it was, Orion didn't need to read minds, or to hear those any of those words aloud.  The message in Sirius' eyes was more than clear.

Between exasperation and bitter self-doubt, Orion felt torn.  What on earth was he supposed to do now?  What Sirius had told him was the last thing he'd ever expected to hear.   And to turn down a plea for help was the last thing he'd wanted to do, but that's clearly how Sirius had taken it.   

Orion swore under his breath, cursing himself.  

No.  Before he did anything, he needed to speak with Andromeda – find out more about this Richard.  Orion's jaw clenched.  Those marks on Sirius' body and the horrific stories – Sirius wouldn't make up such a sick joke; there had to be truth in it.  There had to be.

The prospect of meeting Richard played on Orion's mind.  He pondered for a while whether he'd be able to keep from ramming his fist down that sadistic bully's throat if Sirius' claims were indeed true.  Not that he didn't completely believe what his son had told him; it merely felt justifiable if there was more concrete proof to be found.  Then they'd have him.  Orion would honour his promise.  

Yet his heart sank at the accusation he'd seen in Sirius' eyes.

_I'm not abandoning him_, Orion told himself sternly.  _I'm doing what's right by law_. 

_By law_.  Orion wondered fleetingly if doing something 'by law' was equal to what was 'right'. Orion upheld the laws.  Laws were there to protect people and keep them safe.  They were there to be followed.  What was right was law, and what was law was right.  

Right?

The shadow of doubt creeping through his thoughts, Orion stole another glance at his son, sitting perfectly still on the backseat, his gaze fixed unseeingly on the roadside scenery.  If he sensed his father's gaze, he didn't turn to look.  The coldness in his pale eyes and the set jaw outwardly projected his thoughts.

Sirius clearly saw a difference.

If only his father could see it.

*

All Ministry of Magic cars were equipped with Camouflage Charms to keep them hidden from Muggle eyes.  Were a Muggle to look at one, all they would see was an ordinary Muggle police car, which may explain why so many people living close to the Black residence were peeking curiously out from behind their curtains as one such car pulled up outside number twelve.

Sirius gazed balefully up at the neighbours' houses, noting the twitching curtains.  

'Great,' he muttered.  The last thing he wanted right now was an audience.

As Adler climbed out of the car, the front door of number twelve flew open.  Andromeda, her expression border-lining between fear and hope, hovered uncertainly in the doorway, her eyes searching for a familiar face.

Feeling like his limbs were made of lead, Sirius opened the car door and stepped out. 

Barely an instant after his foot touched the pavement, there came a strangled cry of relief and the pounding of running feet.  Nearly knocking him over, Andromeda threw her arms around Sirius' neck and burst into tears, whispering his name over and over.

Temporarily startled, Sirius hesitantly returned the embrace.  From somewhere by his shoulder, his mother croaked hoarsely, 'Oh Sirius, thank goodness you're safe … you're alright …'

'Yeah,' whispered Sirius, half-heartedly.  'I'm okay.'  He glanced up at the house.  A small figure was at one of the upstairs windows, yet before Sirius could think to raise a hand to wave, the net curtain was sharply pulled down and the figure disappeared.  

Sirius didn't have time to contemplate this as his mother chose that moment to release him from her death-grip hug.  Face wet with tears, she turned a watery smile towards Sanders and Adler … until she realised who else was with them.  A dark look settled in her eyes and her smile faded in an instant.

'Orion,' she acknowledged curtly.

Orion didn't answer.  He simply nodded a hello.  Sirius looked between them, not liking the sudden tension, and subtlety backed off.  He could almost hear the warning bells.  

Adler quickly stepped in between them, as though he knew exactly what Andromeda and Orion's timeframe for polite conversation was.

'Ms Black,' He tipped his hat politely, diverting her attention from her ex-husband.  'I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that your son is unhurt and none the worst for his little adventure.'

Andromeda nodded fervently.  She turned to Sirius, her expression still troubled.  

'But where _were_ you, Sirius?' she asked, wringing her hands.  'I was worried sick.'

Sirius opened his mouth uncertainly, but Adler cut across him.

'He was discovered late last night by his father.  The poor lad was wandering around in a dreadful storm from what I understand.'

At this, Andromeda's sharp stare snapped back to her husband, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

'_You_ found him?' she repeated.  Sirius blanched.  He did not like the sound of that tone one bit.

Orion's expression hardened ever so slightly, an equally cold light sparking in his eyes.

'Yes, I found him,' he said softly, meeting her stare.

'Why wasn't I informed?' she demanded, hands on hips.  'I was only a Floo channel away.  You could have at least have let me known that my son was okay.'

'Sirius was ill,' Orion explained placidly.  'He turned up on my doorstep in the middle of the night, soaked to the skin.  He needed medical attention first.'

'Did you call a Healer?'

'No, I - '

'Why not?'

'Andromeda, I'm quite capable of taking care of a sick teenager,' said Orion, making every effort to reign in his temper.

Andromeda was less than impressed.

'You're hardly qualified,' she sneered.

'I'm his father,' Orion growled through gritted teeth.

'And that counts for what, exactly?  You had no right to keep him from me like that.'

'Keep him from you?' Orion repeated incredulously.  'I'm not the one responsible for making him run away from home.'

Andromeda's expression could only be described as disgusted.  Open-mouthed, she fixed him with a stare that would have made a Basilisk envious.

'Run away?  I think not -'

'Sirius told me all about your new partner,' said Orion in a deadly whisper.  'What he did to him.'

'Oh, he did, did he?' Sirius took another step back as his mother swung round to look at him.  'What have you been saying about Richard?' she hissed.

'That he's a vicious bully,' said Orion angrily, coming up behind her.  'I don't suppose you've seen what that thug has done to our son?'   

Andromeda spun back around, a dangerous look in her eyes.

'What right do you have to come here making wild accusations about my fiancé?' she spat.  'I cannot believe you, Orion – do you have any proof?  No, of course you don't, because Richard has done no such thing.  If you wanted to come over here to stir up trouble, then you can leave.'

'I'm not going until I've got some answers,' said Orion.  'I want to know why this has been going on for so long; why you've never done anything about it- '

'About what?  There's nothing going on here, Orion.  At least nothing that is any of _your_ business.'

'My son's welfare _is_ my business.  If you've been turning a blind eye -'

Andromeda let out a derisive snort-like laugh.

'Now you see fit to lecture me on parenting?  A bit late for that Orion, I've raised these kids by myself for the past three years.  You've never once done anything more than what the courts asked you to do.  But then, that's a legal procedure, isn't it?  Just another aspect of your _job_; only do what falls in your in-tray and nothing else.'

_'Hey,'_ Orion stuck a finger in his ex-wife's face, both of them scowling with equal dislike, '_don't _you start that again!  I would do anything for my kids and you damn well know it.  Unlike _you_ who can't even bring herself to abandon a stupid cauldron for two minutes unless it's to flutter your eyelashes at some ruddy Muggle -'

_SMACK!_

Orion jerked back, stunned.  Andromeda raised her hand again.

'How _dare_ you,' she hissed.  Taking a step forward, Andromeda was halted as a large hand gently, but firmly, took hold of her wrist.

'Ann, please calm down, there's no need for that.'

Sirius would have backed up even further if it hadn't meant stepping out into the road.  On the other hand, maybe it wasn't such a bad alternative.

Richard firmly lowered Andromeda's arm, taking her hand in both of his.  That forced smile was back on his face as he turned to Orion.

'Ah, and you must be …'

'Orion Black,' he said curtly.  'Sirius' father.'

'Indeed.' Richard's lip curled.  'Well, it's a pleasure to meet you at last.'

'Can't say the same, I'm afraid,' said Orion coldly.  Andromeda's eyes narrowed into slits, flashing ominously.

Richard didn't appear affected in the slightest.  Another phoney smile flittered over his features as he spotted Sirius skulking by the car.

'And here's the little rascal,' said Richard coolly.  

Sirius shot him a warning glare.  One that clearly stated _'Don't come anywhere near me'_.  

Beaming smile in place, Richard strode over him and flung an arm round his shoulders.  Face contorting with revulsion, Sirius braced himself and stared determinedly at the ground.  But Richard's 'friendly' gesture applied a lot more pressure than what could be considered normal and forcibly steered Sirius towards the house.

'Come along now,' Richard boomed cheerfully, for all the world sounding like he was thrilled at Sirius' safe return,  'let's get you inside.'

Shaking off Richard's arm was no easy task.  Sirius tried to pull away but the grip on his shoulder tightened painfully.  He didn't try a second time.  

Casting a baleful look over his shoulder at his father, Sirius dejectedly allowed himself to taken inside while his mother thanked Adler and Sanders.  Orion paid her no mind, watching Sirius as he disappeared inside the house, the door closing behind him.

Once out of sight and in the safety of the hallway, Richard shoved Sirius away from him in disgust.  

'Now you listen to me,' growled Richard, pointing a fat finger in his face.  'Don't think for a minute that you are going to get away with that.  If you so much as say another word – _one word_ – to _anyone_, then I will rip out your lying tongue and nail it to the porch railings; do you understand me?'**__**

Backed up against the wall, Sirius just looked up at him with hollow eyes, neither submitting nor challenging.

Footfalls stormed up the path.  Seconds later the front door was flung open and Andromeda stomped over the threshold, her face like a thundercloud.  Slamming the door shut with an almighty bang, she stood poised, hands balled into fists and breathing heavily through her nose.

Genuinely frightened by the immediate realisation of where her anger was focused, Sirius wished he knew a spell that would make the earth open up beneath his feet and swallow him.

'How dare you,' Andromeda whispered, her tone as sharp as a knife.  Sirius quickly dropped his gaze to the floor as his mother's rage broke.  'How_ dare_ you!  You take off without a word, scare me half to death with worry, thinking you'd been kidnapped - or murdered - or I don't know what!  I had no idea if you were safe or even if you were_ alive!_'  Storming over to him, Andromeda put her screaming face right up to his, forcing Sirius to look at her.  Shaking, Sirius winced in fear and shame as she ranted on.  'Then I find out you've gone to see your_ father,' _(she spat the word like it was something vile) 'and all this time you were perfectly safe!  All this time Sirius and you didn't_ think _to let anyone know?  What were you_ thinking?  Were you even thinking at all?'_

Her eyes brimming with angry tears, Andromeda paused to draw a ragged breath but didn't stop.

'What were you doing running to your father and telling him such _malicious_ lies?  I certainly didn't bring you up to behave like this, Sirius and it's gone far enough!'

'But Mum -' Sirius croaked out hoarsely.

'I _don't_ want to hear it!' she shrieked.  'I don't want to hear _any_ excuses, Sirius.  Just - just go to your room – get out of my sight.'

'But if you'd just listen,' Sirius shot back, choking back tears of bitter fury, 'I can explain – I swear I didn't - '

'I don't care what you have to say for yourself, just go!'  Tears streaming down her face, she pushed past him and stormed into the kitchen, slamming the door.

'But - '

_'NOW!' _

Staring almost unseeingly at the closed door, Sirius barely noticed when Richard brushed past him, shooting him a cruel smile as he followed Andromeda into the kitchen, closing the door behind him.  Furious noises of things being shoved around and cupboard doors slamming accompanied the enraged voice of his mother.

For a while Sirius remained frozen in the hallway, his resolution crushed.  The notion of following his mother and making her listen to him was quickly spurned.  She wasn't going to listen to anyone, not while in that tempestuous frame of mind.  

Quietly, he started up the staircase.  He was so lost in his thoughts Sirius almost didn't notice the lone figure at the head of the stairs.

Sensing a presence, he glanced up.

'Ursa!'  The relief evident in his voice was drastically short-lived.  His little sister just looked down at him, a cold blankness in her eyes that gave Sirius a very bad feeling.  He offered a small, uncertain smile. 'Are you okay?'

'What do you care?' said Ursa, so coldly that Sirius stared at her.

'Ursa?  What's wrong?' he asked, taking a step closer.

But his sister turned her back on him and marched off.  Confused, Sirius hurried after her, grabbing her by the shoulder.

'Ursa, what -'

'You lied!' Ursa cried, spinning around and smacking his hand off her.  'You lied to _me_!  You promised and it was nothing but a _lie!_' she shrieked.  Sirius froze in shock.  Never before had Ursa screamed at him with such anger … such _hatred._

'You left me here alone when you promised me you wouldn't,' she said, her eyes full of tears.  'You just took off – you didn't tell me _anything_ – you never said a word, you just vanished – I thought you were hurt, that Richard might have _done_ something to you … but you were fine, all this time and you never thought to let me know?'

'Ursa, I wanted to -'

'But you didn't,' she snapped, cutting his statement short, her eyes blazing and Sirius saw, more than anything, that they contained hurt.  Betrayal.   'You didn't.'  And she stalked into her room and slammed the door shut.  

Sirius hurried after her and rapped on the door.

'Ursa, please, I didn't mean - '

'Go away!' she shrieked.  'I don't want to talk to you again!   Ever!'

'But -'

Sirius jerked back as a muffled thud sounded on the door, like something had been thrown against it.

'Just go away,' came a miserable little voice from within.

For a while, Sirius stood there staring at the door, frozen in shock.  The feelings of deepest shame swept over him as the truth of what Ursa had said sunk in.  The words reverberated through his mind as he dejectedly turned away.  They stung, they cut deep, and he couldn't think of any reason or argument that did not justify that statement.

He'd lied.

He'd broken his promise.

He'd betrayed her.

_Just stay away, that's all you can do,_ his mind seemed to be telling him as he stole quietly across the landing to his room.  _You're nothing but a troublemaker.  Always have and always will be._

_But I didn't mean to,_ Sirius argued silently, pitifully.

_That doesn't matter.  The fact is, you did.  You made your bed, now lie in it._

Grasping the door handle, Sirius slowly opened the door, as though afraid the room might start yelling at him as well.

Sitting in the middle of the floor, his tail curled neatly round his feet, was Cosmic.  Resigned, Sirius stood aside and held the door open.

'Go on,' he murmured, jerking his head to the doorway.   Cosmic blinked his large green eyes, giving Sirius an almost confused look, but didn't move.  'Go on,' Sirius repeated, more firmly.  Still Cosmic stayed where he was. 'Fine then.'

Sirius shut the door, and, ignoring the cat, went to his bed and lay down face first on the pillows.  He closed his eyes and buried his face in the pillow, trying desperately not to think … just wanting to go to sleep, anything to avoid thinking about it … he didn't want to have to go over it all again.

Something soft and wet touched his ear making Sirius jump.  Cosmic mewed and reached up, trying to rub his head against his master's.  The little cat's supportive gesture, silent and simple, was almost too much for Sirius to take. Wrapping an arm around his pet, Sirius drew Cosmic into his arms and lay down on his side, not caring that his eyes were starting to water.  

'I don't know what to do,' he whispered miserably.  Cosmic snuggled closer to him, and started to purr.  Sirius needed him to purr.  'Everything I do just makes things worse … and no one believes me.'  Sirius sniffed, then scowled.  'Dad lied, he doesn't care about me; if he did he'd have let me stay with him.  He doesn't a give a …' Shaking, Sirius tightened his grip on Cosmic, though the cat continued to purr louder.  'I should have gone to Prongs, or Moony … or just …' Sirius trailed off.  It had crossed his mind a couple of times while he'd been travelling, yet he'd always pushed the notice aside, firm in his believe that his father could help him.  He hadn't given much thought to running away permanently … never to see his family again.   

No.  He couldn't do it.  The part of Sirius that made him a Gryffindor said no.  _If you run now, you're only proving what a coward you really are, _the spiteful voice in his head said.  _You know that running away doesn't solve anything._

_Oh, and staying here is doing me a hell of a lot of good, isn't it? _Sirius argued back silently. 

'I don't care anymore,' he said aloud.  Cosmic had stopped purring, watching Sirius with mournful eyes.  Sirius attempted to swallow the lump in his throat but it felt like a Quaffle was lodged in his throat.  'I don't care.'

But he did.  

Wishing bitterly for this wretched feeling to go away, a part of him readily welcomed the despair.  It was so much easier than fighting it.  Was there really any point in trying?

Resting his head on the pillow, Sirius closed his eyes, still shaking and feeling utterly miserable.  It was a long time before he finally drifted off, but when he did, Cosmic stayed by his side, mournfully watching his young master endure a restless sleep.

*

Early next morning, Sirius jerked awake, escaping another nightmare about Richard coming for him in the middle of the night.  Wiping the sweat from his brow, Sirius was surprised to find Cosmic still curled up beside him.  The little cat looked up, closed his eyes and purred. Unbidden, a smile tugged at Sirius' lips.  

The clock on the bedside table read seven forty-five.  A weak ray of sunshine peeked through the curtains, a patch of yellow creeping over the bedspread.  Hoping that it was still too early for anyone else to be up, Sirius crept out of his room and carefully made his way down the stairs, leaving Cosmic behind.  The prospect of having breakfast alone wasn't an altogether pleasant one, but he didn't feel ready to face everyone again after yesterday, at least not until he was sure what kind of mood they were in.

As he approached the kitchen, however, muffled voices came from inside, drifting through the open door.  Sirius halted in the middle of the hallway, hesitant.  Richard and Andromeda were already up, and, by the sound of it, in slightly better moods than yesterday.

'It's a wonderful opportunity, Ann,' Richard was saying insistently.  'Why shouldn't you go?'

'Because I'll only end up making a fool of myself! I can't stand up in front a few hundred people and not panic!'  Andromeda's voice snapped irritably, her footsteps pacing round the kitchen.  Sirius could hear her rustling some paper.  'Besides, I've hardly got enough notice to prepare for it.  If it were in a week's time or something, then maybe – but tonight?  No, I can't.'

'Ann, you'd be the guest of honour!  How can you turn down an invitation like that?'

'Very easily actually.'

'How long have you had that invitation, exactly?' asked Richard, in a very shrewd tone.  Andromeda didn't answer him at first.  Then she mumbled something quickly.  'A fortnight?' said Richard, sounding both stunned and confused. 'B-but isn't this what you wanted?  I though you would have been thrilled to be invited!  There must be plenty of people out there in your profession who would give anything to attend one of these conventions.'

'Then they can invite somebody else – I'm not going!'

'Why ever not?'

Andromeda let out a ragged breath.  She sounded very tired and nervous.

'Look, medical research is my area of expertise … standing up in front of hundreds of people without panicking, is not.'

'So … you're not going on account of stage-fright?'  Richard barked out a laugh.  'Oh, Ann, it can't be that bad, surely.'

'Want to bet?  The last time I was invited to one of these things, I froze up – right before I was meant to present my findings I ran and locked myself in the bathroom!  They organised a search party and ending up breaking down the door because I was too busy throwing up to unlock it myself – it's not funny, Richard!' she cried indignantly as Richard struggled to refrain from laughing.

Sirius was about to turn around and go back upstairs.  But he hesitated.  Curiosity getting the better of him, Sirius tiptoed a little nearer and listened in.  Peering through the gap, Sirius could see a small slice of the kitchen, and Richard standing off to his left, looking across the room at Andromeda who was out of sight.

'I'm sorry, Ann,' Richard said, once the chuckles had eventually subsided.  'But if you think about it, it's really not worth getting so worked up about.'

'I _have_ thought about it, more than enough times.'

'So you've had one bad experience -'

'Two,' Andromeda grumbled.

'Okay, _two_.  But surely it's worth it to have your research given the recognition it deserves.  If these people have shown an interest in it, then why not take a chance and show them what you've accomplished.'

'One of the others could go,' said Andromeda thoughtfully.  'Amelia or Donna; they know what they're doing.'

'Ann,' Richard whined.  'Don't let _them_ take all the credit for your work.'

'I'm not.  We all worked together as a team -'

'But you are the brains behind it all!  You've poured your heart and soul into this project; I know you have.  You've done so much work for this and it's time that the heads of your organisation saw that.  Don't let a little thing like stage fright scare you off.  You deserve a moment in the spotlight.'

'Oh, I don't know,' she sighed.  'In all honesty I'm not sure if the formula's entirely ready.'

'Does it not work?' Richard asked, frowning suddenly.

'It's not that it doesn't work, it's just whether it's safe to use and whether it'll work the way it's supposed to on a sick person …'

'But you said a while ago that you'd figured it out,' said Richard.  'You'd worked out what was wrong with it.'

'Oh, I discovered _why_ it wasn't working, and I concocted a similar formula which seemed promising, but in all honesty it's yet to be tested on a human.'

'But you've tested it?  It does work?'

'On the samples, yes, it works fine.  It's very exciting to watch a living cell completely restore itself to perfect health.'

'Which is a treat you can share with the convention,' said Richard cheerfully.  'Come on now, say you'll go?  For me?' 

Andromeda whined mockingly in indecision, then sighed as Richard drew her into a hug.  Sirius glared murderously at Richard, wishing he could hit him with a Bat Bogey curse or something equally disgusting, or preferably something extremely painful.

'So, are you going to go?' Richard asked a few moments later, lifting Andromeda's chin, smiling down at her.  

'I suppose I'll have to … seeing as you aren't going to leave me alone until I say yes,' she said, grinning happily.

'Ann, you make it sound like I'm forcing you!' said Richard in mock-offence.  

'Yes, well, as punishment you can watch Sirius and Ursa tonight.  These things can go on for hours; I'll be lucky if I can get home by tomorrow morning.'

'Then book into a hotel; it's not a problem,' Richard insisted.  'I'm perfectly capable of keeping an eye on them both.'

'I know you are.  It's just …' she trailed off.

'Just what?'

Andromeda sighed.

'Sirius.'  She sounded exhausted all of a sudden.  Sirius' stomach turned over.  Slowly, he crept a step closer.  

'I just don't know if I'm going to come home and find he's run away again.  Maybe even taking Ursa with him.  I hate to say it but I don't feel as though I can trust him anymore.  I know he's growing up and the teenage years are supposed to be a difficult time but these past few weeks have been ridiculous.  I just don't know what I'm supposed to do about it.  He won't listen to a word I say; everything just seems to go in one ear and out the other.'  She sniffed.  'Where did I go wrong?  Am I a bad mother, is that what it is?'

'No, no,' Richard's voice was soft yet firm, wrapping his arms around her again.  Turning her head slightly, Sirius could see how upset she was.  'Don't you ever think that.  You are a wonderful mother, just look at Ursa.  She's a lovely child; you've never had any trouble from her.  Don't berate yourself just because Sirius has such a rebellious streak.  I doubt he got that from you,' he added.

'That's another problem,' murmured Andromeda miserably.  'He misses his father, I know he does; but Sirius doesn't seem to understand how much I want to move on from that life, that I want nothing to do with Orion.  I had hoped that the divorce would be the end of it; the house, custody of the kids, child-support, it was all sorted.  I thought it was over.  Instead, these old wounds just keep been torn open whenever they go to see him.'

'Well, you can't really expect either of them to simply forget about him, the way you want them to.  He is their father,' said Richard begrudgingly.  In a more positive tone he said, 'You know, this place must hold a lot of memories … too many memories … have you ever considered moving house?  Starting afresh somewhere else?'

Andromeda was silent for a moment.

'No,' she said slowly, mulling it over.  'I never have.'

'Perhaps it would be an idea to consider it.  I know of a lovely place in America,' he said, as though suddenly recalling a pleasant memory.  'We could start a whole new life together, you, the kids, and me.  Wipe the slate clean and start all over again.'

'America?' repeated Andromeda, astounded, pulling out of Richard's embrace and stepping just out of Sirius' line of sight.   'But – that's a lot further than I thought you meant.  What about my job?  Ursa and Sirius are still at school, what about them?'

'There's ways around these things,' said Richard cheerfully.  'You can easily find another job.  The field of science over there is huge, and with your expertise all the companies would be fighting over you!  As for the kids, well, there are planes after all.  They can always fly back over for term time.  Or if that's too awkward they can always transfer to another school, can't they?'

'Richard … I don't know.  It's a big decision … I'd have to think about it.'  But judging by the tone, she was clearly open to the suggestion.

'Well, I wasn't expecting you to run upstairs and pack your bags this instant.' Richard chuckled.  'Just mull it over and if you like the idea we can talk to the kids and see what they think.   Say, shouldn't you be getting ready for this convention?  You need to get your research sorted out, don't you?'

'I think I could do with a nice hot bath before I think about anything else.' Andromeda sighed.  'I haven't been up an hour and already I'm exhausted.'

Footsteps approached the kitchen door.  Silent as a shadow, Sirius quickly slipped across the hall and into the living room, out of sight.  Flattening himself up against the wall, he stayed still as he listened to his mother and Richard walk past and make their way back upstairs.

The moment he heard the door of the master bedroom shut, Sirius closed his eyes and slumped against the wall.

America.  

He could _not _be serious.

If they went to the U.S, he'd never be able to see his father again, or any of his friends.  He'd have to leave Hogwarts.  It was the poison on the knife, the knowledge that his mother was going to consider it; he'd heard it in her voice.

She wouldn't agree, would she?

Sirius didn't feel hungry anymore.  As soon as he felt the coast was clear, he sneaked back upstairs and returned to his room.

*

That afternoon, Andromeda called Ursa and Sirius downstairs to the kitchen, to tell them where she was going.  Sirius tried to look surprised and pleased to hear the 'news' that her medical research had been brought to the attention of Dr. Barbara Suture, a highly acclaimed medi-witch who discovered some of the most successful vaccines for the wizarding world, and had taken 'a personal interest' in Andromeda's latest findings.

'I honestly can't believe she wants me there,' said Andromeda for the fourth time, pacing round the kitchen and wringing her hands.  'Richard's right, I'd be mad to turn this down … but I'm _so _nervous!'

'You'll be great Mum,' said Ursa.  'I've heard that if you freeze up on stage you're supposed to imagine that the entire audience are in their underwear.'

Andromeda raised a questioning eyebrow at her daughter.

'How in Merlin's name is that supposed to help?'

'I dunno.' Ursa shrugged.  'I guess you can't be scared if you're too busy laughing.'

That got a smile out of Andromeda, who shook her head.

'Thank you for the advice, Ursa, but I think I'll stick with my time-honoured tradition of running around like a headless Diricawl before I go on; try and get it out of my system.'

'That's the spirit,' said Ursa.

Sirius did not join in the light-hearted banter.  He merely sat at the table, glumly staring off into space.  

'Right, Richard is cooking dinner tonight so I want both of you on your best behaviour.' Andromeda started pointedly at Sirius as she spoke.  Sirius acknowledged it with a half-glance in her direction.

'Mum, I'm _sixteen_, I don't need a babysitter,' he muttered under his breath.  His mother heard him and frowned, hands on her hips.

'Sirius, unless you start acting like a mature young adult, I will have to carry on treating you like a eight-year-old,' she stated coldly.

'I can take care of Ursa by myself,' he said stubbornly, before he could think to just shut up and keep quiet.

Andromeda's features darkened.

'Sirius, I do _not_ want to consider the possibility of coming home to an empty house,' she said in an increasingly angry tone.  'For all I know, you're planning to skip out again, maybe even taking Ursa with you. I just can't trust you anymore, Sirius.  Richard will be here to baby-sit and I don't want to hear a _single_ complaint when I come home, is that clear?'

Sirius nodded, looking down at the table.

'I said, is that clear?' Andromeda repeated a little louder.

'Yes, Mum,' said Sirius, listlessly.

Satisfied, Andromeda resumed preparing for her presentation.  Sirius glanced over at Ursa.  She was watching him, curiosity in her gaze.  Did she believe what their mum had said?  That Sirius would take her with him if he ran away again?  It was hard to tell what she thought of that, if anything.  

For a few moments they looked at each other, both longing to say something but remaining silent.

Ursa was the first to look away.   Resigned, Sirius excused himself as soon as was polite to, glumly preparing himself for yet another 'fun' night in Richard's company.

*

Dinner was an almost silent affair.  Sirius toyed unenthusiastically with his shepherd's pie, moving it around on his plate while eating very little.  Ursa ate in silence, her eyes stealing swift glances at her brother.  Richard wore his game face, forcing cheerfulness as he smiled amiably round the table.

'Well, I know it isn't the sort of culinary delights you're used to,' said Richard, eyes flicking in Sirius' direction.  'But I'm afraid I haven't had much practise.'

'It's fine,' said Ursa, politely.  'Look, it's not burnt at all.'

'Which can only be a good thing,' Richard laughed, but it sounded forced and it faded quickly.  Sirius didn't look up.  He continued to stab at the mashed potato.  Clearing his throat Richard said, 'Are you eating that or playing with it?'

Sirius slowly glanced up from his plate.

'I'm not hungry,' he muttered.  'May I be excused?'

Richard considered him, a smile that appeared to be little more than a grimace contorting his face.

'You're excused,' he said shortly.  'Go to your room.'

Dropping his knife and fork on the plate with a loud clatter, Sirius screwed up his napkin and left the room, without another word.  Two pale blue eyes followed his departure, silently condemning him again for leaving.  Ursa glumly looked back down at her plate.  She didn't feel particularly hungry either.  Placing her cutlery down neatly on the plate, she sat back in her chair, staring at her lap.

'Aren't you hungry either?' asked Richard, in a more concerned tone.  'Do you feel okay?'

'I'm fine,' came the monotone response.

'Then there's no need to look so down,' said Richard, smiling.  'I don't suppose your mother said anything about moving before she left, did she?'

Puzzled, Ursa looked up.

'Moving?'

'Yes, she told me that she might like to go to America.'

'America?' Ursa repeated.  'You mean, like a holiday?'

'No, sweetie, I mean permanently.  How would you feel about that?  America's a beautiful place.  Your mother's thinking about finding a new job over there.'

Ursa blinked and shook her head.

'Mum didn't say anything to me …' Thinking it over in her mind, Ursa did not like the conclusion she was met with.  'I wouldn't be able to see my dad or any of my friends again, would I?' 

'You'll make new friends,' Richard explained, still with that beaming smile fixed in place.  'It would be a new start for all of us, but especially for your mother.  She needs to get away from here, to be honest.  It's no wonder she's been struggling with her work lately; there's too much pressure on her here …' Richard gazed off into space, a dreamy look on his face.  'She's so intelligent … really, Ursa, you must be so proud to have her as your mother.'

'Yes, of course,' said Ursa quickly, though she didn't appear to be entirely focused on what he was saying.

'She's a miracle, she really is, discovering all these medicines and things.  Working tirelessly even at home …'

Feeling distinctly unsettled, Ursa shifted around on her seat.  She could sense Richard's cool gaze on her.  Hesitantly, she met his stare.

'Funny thing,' he mused.  'I've never actually seen her working here … not once …' The benign smile widened, yet all pleasantness was subtly swept away.  Ursa, a nervous shiver swarming over her skin, cautiously moved ever so slightly to the edge of her seat.

'I don't suppose you've seen it?'

'S – seen what?' said Ursa.

'Why, her laboratory of course,' said Richard.  'I've never had the pleasure of seeing where she works.  I don't understand why I've never noticed it before.'

'Mum doesn't like people meddling with her things,' she said meekly, casting nervous glances to the door.

'Oh, I don't want to meddle,' Richard insisted.  'I only want to see it.  Come now, where's the harm in that?'

Ursa didn't answer.

'Do you know where it is?' 

Ursa swallowed nervously.  Something was very wrong, she could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice.  But it wasn't the only thing she could hear.  As though a voice were whispering in her ear, Ursa recalled what Sirius had told her not so long ago.

_'Ursa, I want you to promise me something.  Promise me that you'll never do anything that Richard asks you to do if you aren't comfortable about it.  You don't have to tell him or show him anything if you think it's wrong, okay?'  _

She'd promised.  But Sirius had made a promise too, and he'd broken it.  What was the point in making a promise if you didn't intend to keep it?  Not five minutes ago, he'd gone and done it again.  

'Ursa?'

Jerking her out of her reverie, Richard leaned across the table, gently stroking her long black hair, tucking it behind her ear.

'Such a clever girl,' he murmured softly, tracing a finger slowly down her cheek.  'You can show me where it is, can't you?'

Her whole body tensing, Ursa struggled to make some audible sound out of her open mouth.

'M-Mum won't like if I -'

'Your mum's not here,' Richard countered, smoothly.  'She doesn't have to know.  I won't tell if you won't.'

Numbly, Ursa shook her head, perplexed by his shark-like demeanour.  The cold, emotionless eyes narrowed; the smile, however, stayed more or less in place.  Swiftly, he reached out and took hold of her upper arm.  Frightened, Ursa emitted a small whimper and tried to slip away off the other side of the chair, but Richard tightened his grip.  

'Now where do you think you're going?' he asked, ignoring the fear growing in her wide eyes.  'I trust you'll show me?'

Shaking, Ursa had but one thought in her head.

What would Sirius do?

*

Lying stretched out on his bed, Sirius lay on his stomach, dangling a length of string over the edge.  Wriggling on his back, Cosmic eagerly batted at the string, trying to bite it.

'America,' Sirius muttered to the cat, even though he knew Cosmic wasn't paying much attention.  'I can't believe Mum would even consider it.  Hey, why not move across the Atlantic away from everything we know: yeah, great idea, when do we leave?'

Cosmic paused briefly, blinked his large green eyes uncomprehendingly, and then went back to mauling the string.

'Why America?' Sirius grumbled.  'They don't even play Quidditch!  They play some stupid game called Quadpot – what is that, eh?  Chucking an exploding ball around?  Doesn't compare with Quidditch …'

Sirius lapsed into silence.  Of course the real issue wasn't Quidditch at all, but it was adding to his long mental list of 'reasons not to go'.  What kind of power did that git have to make his mother think that moving to another continent was such a great idea?

'I'm not leaving Hogwarts,' Sirius stated firmly.  Cosmic allotted a moment's attention to his master before rolling onto his front, abandoning the string, which Sirius was neglecting to shake for him.  'They can't make me.  I've got two years to go, my NEWT's are coming up.  Mum's always going on about how important they are – I don't even know if they have anything like that in the U.S; their system's different, isn't it?'

Noticing that his audience was completely preoccupied, Sirius reached out and dangled the end of the string in front of Cosmic's nose. 

'Not that you have to worry about that sort of stuff, do you?' said Sirius morosely as Cosmic raised a paw and clawed at the string once more.  A sudden thought dawned on Sirius, causing him to swear vehemently.  'Oh _no_, those _stupid_ quarantine laws!' he hissed, shaking the string harder in his anger.

Cosmic ducked and slunk out of the way of the flaying string.  'You'd be locked away in a cage for months!'

Cosmic seemed to understand that the comment was being directed at him.  His ears pricked up and he cocked his head to the side in a quizzical manner.

'I wouldn't be able to see you,' said Sirius angrily.  A look of fierce determination settled on his features, casting a dark shadow in his eyes.  'That's it; I'm not going.  I'm _not_ leaving, I don't care what anyone else decides, I'm staying right here.'  He folded his arms across his chest, scowling.

A loud grumbling sounded.  For a second, Sirius thought it was Cosmic, but realised a moment later that it was his stomach, which promptly repeated the noise.  

'Oh, be quiet,' Sirius complained to his stomach.  It answered back, announcing its request loud and clear.  Sirius couldn't ignore it for much longer.  He was starving.

Getting off the bed, Sirius went to the wardrobe and rummaged through the junk at the bottom. 

All the food he'd previously hidden away was gone.  He must have finished it off and forgotten to stock up again.  Sirius sighed in defeat.  Now he'd have to go back downstairs. 

In spite of knowing he wasn't likely to get a pleasant reception, Sirius had to get something to eat.  His stomach wasn't going to let him sleep otherwise.

He opened the bedroom door and set off across the landing.  A moment later, Cosmic followed, trotting at his heels.

It was at the foot of the stairs that Sirius paused, hearing voices from the kitchen.  Something wasn't right; the nasty familiarity in Richard's tone of voice sent a chilling shiver up his spine, and the fear in his sister's voice was all too clear.  Without thinking, Sirius ran down the hallway, his mind set on the fact that his sister was in there – alone with Richard.

The kitchen door flung open as he rammed his shoulder against it, sending it into the wall with a crash.  Sirius skidded to a halt inches from running into the table, eyes sweeping the room.  They saw, to his horror, Ursa backed up against the wall, cowering in fear with Richard looming over her, his huge hand raised, as though about to strike her.  Startled, both were temporarily frozen by Sirius' sudden entrance, as was Sirius by what he saw, but his voice was not similarly hindered.

'Ursa!'

Ursa ducked under Richard's arm and tried to run, but Richard was too quick for her.  Grabbing her from behind, Richard hoisted Ursa off her feet and pinned her to his chest.

'Sirius!' she shrieked, right before a huge hand was clamped over her mouth.

'Let her go!' Sirius yelled, moving swiftly round the table.  But Richard just smiled and shook his head.

'I don't think so,' he said.  'You take another step and I promise you Ursa will know _exactly_ how you felt after your 'disciplinary' punishment.'

Sirius stopped dead.

'That's a bit more like it,' said Richard, smiling ever more broadly.  'Following orders at last.  It's good to see that you _can_ learn when you put your mind to it.  Of course, you've always needed to have some sort of incentive, haven't you?'

Sirius scowled darkly but he couldn't mask the distress at seeing his sister trapped in the tyrant's clutches.  Eyes wide with fear, Ursa desperately tried to speak, wriggling frantically.  Not impressed, Richard tightened his grip.  Squeaking in pain and fright, Ursa stopped it.

'Leave her alone,' Sirius growled, taking another step forward.

'Ah, ah, ah,' said Richard, almost like he was wagging a finger at him.  'Are we forgetting something?  What did I just say?'

Sirius didn't move.  A small movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, but it was drawn swiftly back to his sister as she let out a squeal of agony as Richard pulled her head back roughly.  Gritting his teeth, Sirius took a step back.  Almost immediately, Richard relaxed his hold on Ursa, a grim smile on his thin lips.

'There we are,' he said with some satisfaction.  Dropping his gaze, Sirius backed up a little further.  'So long as you remember who the authority is in this house we'll get along just fine.'

Turning his face away with a grimace, Sirius spotted something out of the corner of his eye. Lurking in the doorway, Cosmic peered into the kitchen and, eyes narrowed at the sight of Richard, went into a crouch, as though preparing to spring.  Quickly, Sirius looked away from him.

Richard smirked triumphantly as he watched Sirius take another step back, looking defeated.

'Now then, let's -'

_'HHHIIIISSS!'_

In a flash of black fur, gleaming eyes, teeth and claws, Cosmic came hurtling into the kitchen and, using Sirius like a springboard, leapt up onto his master's back and propelled himself, spitting and slashing directly at Richard.

Opening his mouth to yell, Richard got a face-full of claws as the cat wrapped itself round his head.  Releasing Ursa in an instant, Richard went crashing into the sideboard then staggered into the table, arms flailing, bellowing all the while.  Ursa screamed in terror, ducking and scrambling out the way, running straight into Sirius' arms.  

'Come on!  _Run!' _

Grabbing her hand, Sirius turned and they ran from the horrific screams as Cosmic slashed Richard's face to ribbons, alternatively hissing and biting. 

Fleeing into the hallway, they ran for the front door.  Sirius grabbed the handle and pulled – but it didn't open.  

'It's locked!'

'Where are the keys?' Ursa cried, looking over her shoulder to the kitchen.

'No time – upstairs, _go!_'

Pushing her ahead of him, Sirius caught a glimpse of Richard though the kitchen door, still screaming like a madman, finally get a grip on the savage feline and tear the cat away from him.  With a roar of fury, he threw the little animal with all his strength.  Yowling indignantly, Cosmic twisted in mid-air, slammed against the wall and dropped to the floor, slightly dazed but unhurt.  Hackles raised, the cat hissed menacingly, showing brilliantly white, needle-sharp teeth, stained slightly with blood.

'I'll kill you!' Richard screamed in a fury.  _'I'll kill you!' _

Cosmic bolted as Richard stormed across the room, eyes blazing and grasping hands reaching for the little creature's throat. Running swiftly down the hall, the cat twisted elegantly at the foot of the stairs and sprang up the stairs.  Reaching the landing, the cat dove through the gap of Sirius' open door, his master slamming it shut the moment Cosmic was safely inside.

'Quick!  Barricade the door!'

Seizing Sirius' desk, Ursa and Sirius yanked it across the carpet, and shoved it up against the door.  Taking a step back, both of them jumped out of their skins as something pounded on the door, sending the desk back slightly.  Ursa squealed and leapt back in fright.  Sirius dove forward and threw his weight against the desk, slamming the door shut.  

'COME OUT OF THERE!' Richard bellowed, pounding on the door with his fists.  'OPEN THIS DOOR!'

'Not bloody likely,' Sirius growled.  'Ursa, help me!'

Hurrying back over, Ursa added her slight weight to the barricade, pushing hard.

'Can you hold it for a moment?' Sirius whispered urgently.

Eyes wide, Ursa stared at him.

'I – I think so. But what are you - '

'This won't hold.  We need more weight.'  Pulling away, Sirius darted across the room and pulled his bed away from the opposite wall.  

BANG!

Ursa squealed as the door opened up an inch, the desk sliding away.

'You can't stay in there forever!' Richard yelled, throwing his shoulder into the door again.  The door opened another inch as Ursa fought to close it.

Muscles straining, Sirius gave his bed another heave and dragged it closer to the door.  Vaulting over it, he shouted to Ursa, 'Get out of the way!' and shoved hard.

Scrambling out of the way, Ursa scrawled on the carpet as the bed slid across the doorway, knocking the desk aside.  The door slammed shut on Richard's hand, which had just reached through the gap.  Another enraged bellow echoed through the house.

Dropping to his knees, Sirius wrapped his arms around his sister.  She clung to him, shaking and crying.

'What do we do?' she wailed, wrapping her arms round his neck so tightly he was in danger of being strangled.

'We're getting out of here, that's what,' said Sirius, sounding slightly less panicked as the incessant pounding on the door failed to shift the bed barricade.  An urgent meow drew their gaze to the window.  Cosmic stood perched on the sill, pawing at the glass.  Ursa's eyes widened.

'What?  No, I can't - '

'Yes, you can, now come on!'

Pulling her to her feet, Sirius led her over to the window.  Cosmic hopped down onto the carpet out of the way.  Pushing the window up, Sirius knelt down, scooped the cat up in his arms and all but threw him out onto the roof.  Cosmic darted away over the tiles, waiting at the edge of the guttering.

Ursa mouthed silently.

'Siri, I can't!  I'll fall!'

'No, you won't,' Sirius insisted as gently as he could.  'I'm right here, I won't let you fall.  Here.' Sweeping her off her feet, Sirius carefully slid her legs through the open window.  'Just scoot forward a bit,' he instructed.  'That's it.'

Shaking with fright, Ursa slowly edged out onto the roof.  The dark night sky above was alight with stars, adding light for them to see by.  A dark cloud drifting through the sky obscured the moon that should have added its glow.  The garden below was a hazy blue-grey in the half-light.

Holding onto the window ledge, Sirius hoisted himself up and scrambled through, spurred on by the screams and pounding behind him.

'Come on, follow me,' he hissed, crawling past Ursa.  Reaching the guttering, Sirius leaned forward, peering at the ground below.  It seemed a lot further away than it did in the sunlight, mysteriously enough.  No, Sirius told himself.  Don't worry about it, you've done this enough times, it's not that big a drop.

Taking a few deep breaths, Sirius got as close to the edge as he dared, then slowly turned around.  Ursa's face paled significantly as she watched.  Securing firm holds on the guttering, Sirius moved first one leg, then the other over the edge.  Pushing himself backwards, Sirius' felt his legs drop away from him, almost losing his grip.  Waiting for a split second as his arms took the strain, Sirius let go.  Dropping several feet to the ground, he fell backwards and rolled onto lawn.  Jumping to his feet, he looked back up at the roof.

'Ursa!' he called.  'Come on!'

A pale face slowly peered over the edge.  

'I can't!' Ursa repeated fearfully, staying back.  'I'll fall!'

'No you won't,' said Sirius firmly.  'Just do what I did; back up, push your legs over and drop – you'll be fine, I promise!'

Ursa hesitated, looking back over her shoulder at the window.  She quickly turned back, her hair whipping round her face.

'He's stopped trying to get in!' she called.

Sirius swore under his breath.  Was Richard still up there?  If not, where was he?

'Ursa, come on,' he said, more insistently.  'We've got to go.  We don't have much time.'  But still, she hesitated; scared.  'Come _on_.  You'll be perfectly safe.  Trust me!'

Finally, slowly, Ursa crept closer to the edge.  Relieved, Sirius kept calling out instructions and encouragement.

'That's it, a little nearer, just a little more … now turn around, don't be scared, just turn around slowly … that's the way …'

Whimpering in fear, Ursa grabbed hold of the guttering with a death grip.  Closing her eyes, she slowly moved her legs backwards.  But as soon as the roof disappeared and she felt nothing but air, she jerked them back.

'Ursa!'  Sirius' voice called from below.

'I told you, I _can't_!  I'm scared!'

Trying to refrain from sighing in exasperation, Sirius tried another tactic.

'Okay, turn around, sit on the edge of the gutter with your legs over the edge, come on, quick!'

Ursa did as she was told.  The ground looked such a long way down.  Sirius took a step back, head tilted back to see her better.  He spread his arms.

'Okay, now jump!'

_'What?'_

'Jump!  I'll catch you!'

'_No_!'

'Ursa, you've only got two choices, okay?  One; you can trust me and jump, or two, stay up there while I go and get help.  But from where I'm standing, I only have one choice.  I promised I wouldn't leave you and I know I've broken it twice already … I don't want to break it a third time.'  Taking a small step back, Sirius raised his arms again.  'But I need to know that you trust me.'

The night breeze whipping her long hair across her face, Ursa took a deep breath, and slowly moved a little closer to the edge.  Shifting nervously, she closed her eyes.

'Okay,' she whispered.  And she jumped.

For one horrible moment, Sirius' heart went and lodged itself in his throat and froze.  Not even thinking about it, he sprang back, just managing to wrap his arms around his sister as she slammed into him, sending them both crashing to the ground.  Tumbling backwards, Sirius had the sense to tuck his head down before it could smack against the ground.  She gave a squeal, half out of fear, and half out of relief.  Scrawled on top of her brother, Ursa clung to him for a moment, before realising that she was unhurt, and scrambled to her feet.  Feeling his heart drop out of his throat and back down into his chest, Sirius quickly did the same.

'Come on,' he said breathlessly, grabbing her hand.  Together they ran down the side of the house.

'Where're we going?' Ursa panted, as they raced round the corner and out onto the front drive.

'I don't think you're going anywhere,' a voice snarled out of the darkness.

Sirius abruptly came to a stop.  Ursa, still holding his hand, staggered.  Drawing her to him, Sirius wrapped his arms around her protectively, trying to move her behind him, shielding her.

Standing not five feet away, between them and the front gate, was Richard.

Richard, with a wand in his hand, pointed directly at Sirius' heart.

*

**To Be Continued.**

*

**Please review this chapter.  All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.  **

*****

**Author's Notes. **

Ta-dah!  Yeah, okay, for a few people that last bit won't come as too much of a surprise** – **some of you I know have had suspicions on that possibility for a while.  But has anyone figured it all out yet?  No?  Good!  You shouldn't know everything until the final chapter; I swear there's a rule!  *Voltora flips through her fanfic rule book*  

**MorganD - ** True, JKR does makes mistakes too.  Certainly makes me feel better! ^_^   Although with the Veritaserum, didn't she note in GoF via Snape that the use of it is controlled by very strict guidelines?  As it's so powerful, I doubt the wizarding world would allow it to be used on every suspect in a crime investigation.  And I hope that, despite the fact some people are feeling some animosity towards Orion, that maybe they'll understand, and maybe feel a bit warmer towards him after the opening paragraphs.  It's got a bit more of his point of view than the last chapter, which reflected more Sirius' initial despair.

**Mononoke – **Yeah, sure, Orion's more than a bit ticked off, but he was rather in shock when Sirius first told him.

**Nie Starwhistler – **As I just said to Mononoke, Orion was kinda in shock when Sirius broke the news to him; the anger built up and shows a bit when he meets Andromeda and comes face-to-face with Richard – not a lot of anger there, but he's having a quiet rage of sorts.    Richard finding out about Andromeda?  Maybe that last sentence of this chapter will give a hint as to what he knows. ^_^  Sorry, can't post any faster.

**Christy – **Sorry, Orion's fallen onto the 'disliked character' list, maybe that opinion will change by the end.  Only one chapter left now – where did the time go???

**TiniTinuviel –** Well, I did have a bit more of Orion's view at the start of this chapter, just to show that he isn't blindly sending Sirius home without believing him; Orion's just feeling rather trapped by his position and unsure of how to proceed.  He wants to help his son, get to the bottom of what's going on, find out the truth and (if he can justify it) punch Richard's teeth in! ^_^    

**Enna seawave – **Thanks again for reviewing!  Hope you liked the chapter.

**Zorro x – **Hey, hold up, he never meant to imply that he didn't believe his son, it's simply that he works by the law, and lives by the law, thus he wants to be sure of the truth and facts.  Sirius took it the wrong way too, but Orion does mean to help in any way he can.

**Marauders Gal – **Ah, I love to read all the nasty comments on Richard!  So amusing some of them. ^_^  Breaking his spine, bone by bone, with an axe is my favourite suggestion of torture so far.  The fic won't be much longer, in fact, there's only one chapter left!  Next week's shall be the last, then I'll be posting some short fics before another really long one (We're talking forty or so chapters long for the next one!).

**Sirius' sweetie – **Thanks for reviewing!  Sorry, he had to go back unfortunately.  Stay tuned for the final chapter!!

**Black Rose9 – **I was tempted to send him to James, but Sirius won't be going to James' house – got something better planned!  Or written, as it's already finished. ^_^

**Sophodes – **Oh, good, you are still among the living!  I know, some people got so mad about Orion!  But I'm very glad you can understand his reasons for why he felt compelled to take Sirius home against his wishes (both their wishes to be completely honest.)   The fic should conclude fairly nicely in the next and final chapter (still can't believe it's nearly done) Though if there's any unanswered questions, I may write answers to reviewers comments at the end of my next piece – should a be a short songfic and will be posted in December if I ever get to write it out.  Again, sorry for missing last Friday's post, but the chapter was still in the hands of my poorly Beta reader; she did manage to get it done by Monday but it seemed pointless to post it when everyone expects a Friday update, so I decided to wait.

**NightSpear - ** *Voltora runs screaming from the lynch mob to find a better hiding place!!*  NightSpear, don't scare me like that! ^_^   Will this fic end dark?  Hmm, shall I tell, or not? Nope, not saying a word!  Expect; you'll have to wait until next week for the final chapter! (I've typed 'final chapter' so many times and I still can't believe it.)

**Stagger – **You hope that Richard dies?  You're not the only one! ^_^ Sorry, I can't promise that Sirius won't get hurt – he's mine for one more chapter before I have to return him to JKR.  

**WallyTheWhale – **I don't know why I suddenly thought about adding that little bit about Sirius being sick when he was little – that wasn't in the original draft.  But hey, if someone liked it, then great!  Certainly your new theory was better than the poltergeist – what did you think of that last moment, eh?  I know it's not a huge surprise for some – certain people were guessing a little too closely to the truth, far too early on!!  I had to be careful not to comment in case I let it slip before we got even half way through the fic!  Just wondering if anyone can work out all the details before the next chapter is uploaded – 200 points to the House of whoever figures it out!!!

**Yoda – **LOL!  Thanks Yoda, I'm really pleased that you're enjoying this.  Ah, Richard-torture gets another vote!  There's only one chapter to go – it's a bloody long one, but I hope it rounds off the story well enough.  Keep those mad and wild eyes on fanfiction!  And I still want to see what you're working on for your next fic!  I vaguely remember reading the chapter you sent via e-mail but I'd like to read it again!  Write it faster and post it!!  ^_^

**I – **LOL.  Thanks for reading!

**Semmel – **Gryffindorks?!  Oi!  ^_^  Well, you deserved them, I was so impressed!  And I guess you can now be sure of at least one of your statements.  The final chapter (I'm writing that damn phrase again!) reveals all!!  *drumroll*    Ah, that last bit, so depressing, I'm glad you liked it and could actually imagine yourself in his position – that's a fabulous comment to give any author, I'm blushing!  *spies Semmel's instruments of torture nervously*  Er, what are you planning to do with those??  *Voltora hastily backs up and dives into her hiding place*

**Calimora –** As far as I know, Lil Lupin is feeling better now (she's passed the bug on to someone else, I believe!). Thank you for asking.

**Quietona – **Okay, you have a lot of questions, and unfortunately I can't answer most of them, as the story will give them to you by itself.  However, I can answer a few; the fic was planned to cover the summer holiday, so you won't see Sirius going back to Hogwarts.  Will Ursa play a huge part?  Well, she does have a part but it's not really huge, though she features more here than in the earlier chapters.  As for Sirius telling his father about being an Animagus – I always felt it was a secret that the Marauders kept between themselves (and Lily in my version, although maybe not in JKR's, we don't know for sure) and never revealed to anyone else.  Certainly doesn't seem to be the sort of thing you'd tell your law-abiding father.  'Hey, dad, guess what?  I'm an illegal Animagus at the age of fifteen!  Aren't you proud?'   Nope, just can't see it.  ^_^   The Marauders will make a brief appearance in the final chapter.

As for Orion's reaction, a lot of people commented that they felt he should have gone mad at hearing about the abuse, but my view was that Orion was more stunned at first, trying to get his head round it before he started to feel the anger.  Start of this chapter we see him getting worked up a bit and learn a little of what he felt and thought about the situation.  It's simply that I couldn't get his view to sit comfortably in the previous chapter which was more focused on Sirius, so Orion's had to wait until the opening of this one.

And thank you very much for reading and reviewing 'The Greatest Gift', that was very nice of you!  I'm glad you liked it. ^_^   (There were quite a few mistakes because I didn't have a Beta at the time and was writing at top speed to get it done in time for Christmas – the final chapter was written the day I meant to post it!  Hence some very silly grammar mistakes.)  ^_^

**Prongs4 – **I know it's upsetting to have a character being beaten so much but child abuse is a nasty subject so I won't go easy on a character to whom it's happening.   Still, I can feel the hate for Richard!  That's great!  Keep it up! ^_^__


	20. Heart of a Star

**Chapter Twenty: Heart of a Star.  **

Sirius stared, uncomprehendingly, at the slim polished stick of wood that was pointed at him, slowly raising his eyes to the man who held it.

Richard's face was horribly maimed; deep scratches marred the skin, oozing blood down his cheeks and across his forehead.  His nose sported a puncture wound from Cosmic's teeth.  His thick neck was also badly scratched.

A crooked smile contorted the already-disfigured face.

'Not planning on leaving, were you?' he said in a venomous whisper.  Sirius carefully drew Ursa behind him, but she too was staring dumbstruck at the wand in his hand.

'You – you're a wizard?' she said, stunned, voicing Sirius' confused thoughts.

Richard smiled coldly at her.

'I'd rather not discuss such matters out here in the open,' he said coolly.  'Perhaps if we went back inside …'

Sirius stood his ground.  

'I don't think so,' he growled.  Glancing about him, he tried to determine a possible escape route, but Richard was blocking the most direct course.  Running back round the house would mean turning their backs on him – not a clever move, considering he was armed.  Sirius' gaze drifted to the fence separating their driveway from next-doors.  

The smile flickered.  Slowly, Richard advanced on them, a dangerous glint in his eyes.  Then, out of the darkness behind them, a small black shape flashed past Sirius and Ursa to dive under Richard's feet.  Lurching, Richard tipped over with a strangled yell, falling to the ground with a heavy thud.

'Run Cosmic!' Ursa yelled, nearly deafening Sirius.  Taking a chance, he seized Ursa's hand and ran for the fence, pulling her across the lawn.  

Springing out from under Richard's feet, the cat bolted down the driveway.  Richard was back on his feet in seconds, his wand raised.

_'Vulnus!'_

A streak of blue light flashed through the darkness.  It struck the path, barely missing the cat as it hurtled round the corner and vanished into the night.__

Turning back round, Richard raised his wand once more.

_'Limus!'_ he roared.

A jet of dark green light shot from his wand and struck the ground, sending a shudder through the lawn and transforming the ground into a watery bog.  Mere feet from vaulting the fence, Sirius skidded and lost his balance, Ursa slamming into his back and they crashed to the ground, slipping on the dark green sludge.  Tangled in a heap and covered in the muck, they both struggled frantically to find their feet, but it was no use; the ground was far too slippery.  They were stuck.

Laying on his front in the slime, Sirius stopped struggling and wiped the grime away from his eyes.  He looked up at the pair of black shoes in front of him, and lifted his head.  Richard smiled coldly down on him.

'Like I said, you're not going anywhere,' he said maliciously.  'Shall we?'  He waved his wand towards the front door, which magically unlocked and swung open.

The slime beneath them seeped away into the ground, leaving Ursa and Sirius able to stand. 

'I wouldn't try shouting for help either,' said Richard pleasantly, as they got to their feet.  Raising the wand, he put it under Sirius' chin.  Shaking, Sirius offered no resistance, and obediently moved back towards the house.  Ursa followed close beside him.  Draping a comforting arm around her shoulders, Sirius drew her to him, whispering, 'It's okay, just do as he says.'

Ursa nodded, glancing timidly in Richard's direction.

Stepping over the threshold, Richard directed them back towards the kitchen, the front door closing behind him, the lock clicking smartly.  

The kitchen was in a terrible state.  Half the chairs had been knocked to the floor, cupboard doors open and their contents spilled, and the fragmented remains of a plate lay shattered across the floor by the sink.  Sirius stood with his back to the wall, not keen on letting Richard out of his line of sight.

'Well now, let's see … where were we?'  Tapping the wand to his chin in a thoughtful manner, Richard gazed around the chaos as though contemplating the matter.

Sirius held Ursa close.  She was shaking.

'Ah, yes, I remember,' said Richard, turning back to the two teenagers and smiling.  'Ursa, I believe you were about to help me with my little problem.'

'What do you want with her?' Sirius snarled, tightening his grip on his sister.  'She hasn't done anything.'

'There's no need to be so defensive, Sirius,' said Richard, smoothly.  'I merely requested her assistance, that's all.  But I'm gravely disappointed to see that she's very much like you; quite disobedient when the mood suits her … very uncooperative …'

'He wanted me to show him the lab,' Ursa hissed, clutching Sirius' arm fearfully.  'I said I wouldn't … you told me not to …'

Richard's face twitched with a look of exasperated understanding.

'Now there's a surprise,' he drawled.  'I always said you were a bad influence on your sister … teaching her to be so disobliging.  So I'm afraid this leaves me with very few options.'

He reached out and grabbed hold of Ursa, pulling her forcibly out of Sirius' grasp.  Sirius desperately tried to hold onto her but desisted as he found Richard's wand shoved against his chest, forcing him back against the wall. Frightened, Ursa started crying.  Sirius was powerless; unable to do a thing to help her.  The pressure of the wand on his chest increased as Richard pinned Ursa to his side.

'Now, just so that we're all clear on this, I have no desire to harm either of you - '

'Could've fooled me,' Sirius snapped irritably.  He bit back any more retorts as Richard jabbed the tip of the wand up into his throat.

_'But_ that's only so long as the two of you cooperate,' said Richard, eyes flashing ominously.  'If you don't …'

Removing the wand-tip from Sirius, Richard pointed it at the window.  In the topmost corner, a large spider was weaving its web.  Smiling callously, Richard bellowed; _'Avada Kedavra!'_

Sirius screwed his eyes shut as a flare of green light illuminated the kitchen, but he opened them in time to see the dead spider fall and hit the window ledge. 

Sirius' heart slammed against his ribs painfully in a fit of panic. _The Unforgivables_. He'd heard all about them in school and from his father.  The properties of each flashed through his mind; total control, excruciating pain, and death.  Sirius was uncomfortably aware of that fact of how much he was shaking.  Ursa was as pale as a ghost, staring in horror at the dead spider, and breathing in short, hiccoughing breaths.  

Richard smirked in a satisfied manner, twirling the wand between his fingers.  

'Now, Sirius, if you'd be so kind as to show me where the laboratory is?'  Richard took a step back, taking Ursa with him.  Positioning her directly in front of him, Richard held the wand to her head. Ursa swayed like she was going to faint at any moment, turning her pleading eyes to her brother.

Powerless to do anything else, Sirius obeyed.

Careful not to move too quickly for fear of making Richard think he was trying to make a break for it, Sirius slowly walked across the kitchen.  Richard's eyes followed him like a hawk.  Standing in front of the largest cupboard, Sirius reached for the handle.

Inside the cupboard were numerous bottles and tubs of cleaning fluids, powders and disinfectants.  Scowling, Richard leaned forward, looking over Sirius' shoulder.  Ignoring him, Sirius reached inside and picked out from among the multitude of bottles, a small and nondescript blue bottle.  Flipping the top off, Sirius poured a white powder into his open palm.  He returned the bottle to its place, stood up and, holding his hand out, carefully sprinkled it over the floor.  Stepping back, he shut the door.  He counted slowly to five, keeping an eye on the gap beneath the door.  A soft glow appeared, sending a yellow light shining across the floor.  Sirius opened the door.

Richard let out a hiss of excitement, stepping forward eagerly.  But he abruptly drew up short.

The cupboard's interior had vanished, replaced by a narrow, stonewalled passage, lit by a flaming torch, leading to a stone staircase.  But barring the way was some kind of shimmering purple barrier, like a curtain.  And in the centre of it, was a face.  It was bone white and its dark eyes were wide and empty, like a skull's.

'Password?' the head asked, the hollow eyes narrowing suspiciously at Richard.  

Richard growled, turning sharply to Sirius.

'Well?' he snapped impatiently.  'What's the password?'

Sirius paused, wondering if there was any way he could stall for time, pretend he'd forgotten it or something.  But seeing his little sister so frightened, he didn't dare.  He looked up at the face, clearing his throat.

_'Signifer orbis,' _he stated clearly.

The face beamed at him, seemingly very pleased.  Melting away into the barrier, the purple sheen shimmered, turning completely transparent.

Cursing himself mentally, Sirius turned sullenly to a grinning Richard.

'Okay, it's open, now let Ursa go.'

Richard chuckled, highly amused.

'Oh I think not.' He pointed to the passage with his wand.  'After you.'

Sirius looked down the passage apprehensively.  Richard noted the hesitancy with some satisfaction.

'You don't think I didn't consider that there would be some kind of security measures in place, did you?  I'm not a fool, Sirius, whatever you may think.  Andromeda is highly protective of her work and rightly so.  She's done a good job on hiding the entrance; very clever, no chance of accidentally opening that, but I sincerely doubt that that's all she's done.'

Prodding Sirius' shoulder with his wand, Richard directed Sirius towards the entrance.  Casting a furtive glance at Ursa, Sirius cautiously stepped through the barrier.  A fain tingle swarmed over his skin but that was all.  He knew that trying to force your way through without giving the password was ill advised.  A mild Stunner was rigged to the barrier, set to knock an intruder unconscious.  But Richard made his way through unharmed, pushing Ursa ahead of him.  

A few paces down the narrow passage, Sirius paused.  Scowling, Richard drew up short.

'Well?' he snapped impatiently.

Crouching on the floor, Sirius ran his hand over the stone along the base of the wall.  Slipping his fingers through an illusion charm into a tiny alcove, he touched an invisible pad.  Instantly, a cool breath of wind blew across his hand, a silent confirmation that the fortifications were down.   Straightening up, he took the torch from its bracket and led the way down the staircase.

The flames of the torch flickered over the stonework sending dancing shadows down the stairwell.  Gripping the handrail tightly, Sirius descending into the huge chamber below.  Ursa followed a few steps behind, Richard keeping his wand trained on the back of her head.

Stepping down into the open space, Sirius reached up and placed the torch in an empty bracket.  Staring into the pitch-black room, he commanded, _'Lumos!' _

At once, the laboratory lit up, revealing the huge underground chamber.  Coming up behind Sirius, Richard gazed around the room, his cold eyes alight with a disturbing kind of rapture.

'At last!' he hissed.  Sauntering into the middle of the room, he slowly took in the huge bellied cauldrons set up down the centre, the work benches, the shelves stuffed with paperwork and cupboards full of vials, jars and bottles.

His attention diverted, Ursa immediately threw herself into Sirius' arms.  Holding her protectively, Sirius looked back up the stairwell, his mind working furiously.  All the security wards were down, but they could be activated individually … if only he could get to them.  Casting a wary eye over the laboratory, Sirius thought hard.  

Taking a steadying breath, he called to Richard.

'I can't believe it,' he said in bewilderment.  'All this time you knew we were wizards?'

Turning his head sharply to the teenagers, Richard fixed Sirius with a condescending look, snorting derisively.

'Ten points for your house,' he sneered.  

'W – what were you playing at?' demanded Sirius, brow furrowed.  'Acting like a Muggle all this time, if you knew what we were?  I mean, _you're_ blatantly a wizard,' he nodded to the wand in Richard's hand.  'What's this all about?'

'The perfect cover, is it not?' said Richard haughtily. Tracing a finger round the rim of the nearest cauldron, Richard paused to admire the colourful array of potion vials on the nearest shelf.  'An ignorant Muggle falling in love with a beautiful witch … what wizard would look twice at someone who has no knowledge of their world?  Hardly a suspicious suspect what with all those unfortunate break-ins …

'You see, Sirius,' he said, looking over his shoulder at Sirius.  'It pays to cover your tracks when seeking something of great value …'

'And what would that be?' Sirius growled.

Smiling coldly, Richard turned right round to face him, and held up a stack of parchment notes.

'Why, knowledge, of course.  Knowledge is power; perhaps the greatest power that one can possess … and someone of your mother's ability is a highly valued prize indeed.  Such a professional aptitude of potions is hard to find …' Richard's smile faded, replaced by a dark look of contempt.  'And yet that stupid cow can't see the true potential of her work.  A Rejuvenation Potion is but a few steps away from eternal youth … immortality if you will.'

Sirius raised an eyebrow at this, not sure if he fully understood.

Richard continued to circle the laboratory, pointing his wand at the extensive files, the pages flipping rapidly as he scanned the notes.

'My own associates have failed time and time again, trying to create such an elixir without success.  Thus, one of them secured a job with one of the Ministry's top potion research laboratories as a caretaker.  A useful connection – no one looks twice at the underdogs, the people whose duties consist of scrubbing toilets and emptying bins.  Very careless of the Ministry not to pay enough attention, wouldn't you agree?  

'He proved his worth, delivering invaluable information of what was going on in there.  But those fools rushed in too soon … the research was nowhere near completion … it had not progressed far enough to be of any use.  So how else to get to it?  Why, target the head egg-brain of course, your dear mother, Andromeda.

'Oh, it was perfect.  You must appreciate the genius and the sheer simplicity of it all … a pretty young woman, recently divorced, naturally feeling extremely flattered by a charming man's attention.'

Sirius snorted, his scowling face darkening.  But he didn't interrupt.

'I knew it would take time to build up a good relationship, seeing how she mistook me for a Muggle. I saw no need to correct her error of judgement; I felt it would enhance my cover if there were suspicions regarding the breaches of security at the laboratory.  Of course, there were a few problems.  Andromeda had moved her research to her own laboratory, hidden away, of course.  She was not such a fool as to let anyone know where she kept it all.  Certainly it had to be close to her home, near enough to be accessed on a daily basis.  A secure entrance within the house was the obvious answer.  But I underestimated her; she hid it well. Too well.  For months I have searched for it and found nothing; not one concealed keyhole, not so much as a crack anywhere to indicate the entrance.  I could hardly ask her to show me. How is an 'ignorant Muggle' supposed to know of such things?  I had to keep up the act.  If she suspected something wasn't right and that I'd lied to her, I knew she would not appreciate my betrayal and I'd lose my lead.

  'Unfortunately, that wasn't the only flaw in my plan. I lacked the foresight to take into account the two of you.  Especially you, Sirius … so headstrong and wilful, I knew you'd be a problem.  For all I knew, you'd seen me that night when you returned home late, whilst I was searching the living room … I couldn't afford to be found out; I couldn't allow you to figure out what I was up to.'

'You've been searching the house whenever we weren't around – you've been looking for the lab all this time,' said Sirius, suddenly recalling the strange beam of light he'd seen though the living room window that night – just like a wand-light.  And the kitchen; no wonder Richard's scent had been all over the place.

Richard nodded.

'Very good.  You're not as much of an idiot as you appear to be.  However, you needed to be …shall we say, tamed?'  He smiled a hideous smile, his cold eyes glinting maliciously.  'You have no idea how frustrating it's been for me, to keep up this ridiculous charade, day in, day out … it helps to find an outlet for anger and frustration.  It's not healthy to keep feelings bottled up inside, wouldn't you agree, Sirius?'

'What?  You couldn't find a stress-ball so you took it all out on me?' said Sirius incredulously.

'Very therapeutic,' Richard sighed with relish.  'Not to mention it kept you in line … to a certain extent.'  

Abandoning the files, Richard slowly advanced on Sirius.  

'I've learnt to follow orders, Sirius.  Why else would I have stuck out this infuriating mission?  Discipline is paramount in my circle. The rules are really very simple; disobey and receive punishment, obey and be rewarded – simple as that.'  

Standing before him, Richard looked down his long nose at Sirius, in a thoughtful manner.  Sirius didn't move, meeting the stare unflinchingly.  

'You know, if you'd been inclined to be a little more cooperative, I may have considered offering you a place among us … but I can see now that that can never be.  You have a fiery soul, I can see it in your eyes.  A rebel to the core.  Pity.'

'A place?' Sirius repeated, not understanding. 'What do you mean?'

'A place under my Lord's command.  I'm sure he'd appreciate the potential that you have … anyone can see you have it … of course, if you'd like to consider it …'

A horrible chilling sensation swelled in Sirius' stomach at that comment.  

'The Dark Lord?' he repeated, suddenly remembering his father talking to him about the same thing weeks ago. 'You mean Lord Voldemort?'

Richard's face fell, paling significantly at the sound of the name.

'You know his name?'

'Yes,' said Sirius defiantly.  'And I'm not afraid to say it.'

Richard chuckled; a horrible mirthless sound.

'Indeed, you are brave, but you are also unbelievably foolish.  A Gryffindor, by any chance?' he inquired, as though they were making polite conversation at the dinner table.

Sirius glared.

'Gryffindor and proud of it.'

'Thought as much.  I don't suppose you _would_ consider joining us?  My Lord rewards his loyal followers very well.' 

'I'd rather die,' snapped Sirius. 

Richard's snake-like grin faded to be replaced by a very ugly look.  

'There is always that … and don't think I wouldn't relish the pleasure of granting you a very slow, painful end,' he whispered, tracing the tip of his wand over Sirius' heart.  Causally, Richard checked his watch. 'I think I've wasted enough time on this; I have work to do.'

With a flourish, Richard pointed his wand to the far corner of the lab.  Two chairs materialised out of thin air beside the alcove.  

'I don't care much for distractions,' he said placidly.  'So unless you have any objections …?'

Sirius glared defiantly, holding Ursa to him.  His face darkening, Richard flicked his wand sharply. A jet of green light missed Sirius' head by inches and a large jar exploded on the shelf behind them.  Ursa squealed as her brother ducked instinctively.

'Oh dear,' said Richard.  'I missed.'  He jabbed his wand at the chairs.  'Now sit down,' he snapped.

Ruefully, Sirius drew Ursa towards the chairs and compliantly sat down.  Thin ropes twisted themselves round their wrists, pulling them roughly behind their backs and binding them together.  Their ankles were bound to the chair legs and a thicker length of rope wrapped tightly around their chests.  As a finishing touch, Richard aimed his wand again and a wad of thick material flew out of the tip and forced itself into Sirius' mouth, gagging him.  

'Just in case,' he said, smiling maliciously. 

With a sinister laugh, he returned to the workbench, and pulled Andromeda's files towards him. 

Whilst his back was turned, Sirius twisted round, trying to make a quick assessment of the situation.  His heart gave a leap as he spotted their school trunks not ten feet away.  Then it dropped unpleasantly back into his chest as he saw that the chains were still binding the portcullis closed.  It couldn't be opened without magic.

Scrapping that vague idea, the possibility of reactivating the traps came to mind.  But how to do it?  Watching Richard pull down yet more files from the shelves, scowling and muttering, Sirius pondered how to lure him away from the workbench.

It was hard to tell how long they were down there, but as time went by, Sirius and Ursa could only watch as Richard grew more and more aggravated.   Tossing files and notes aside, muttering incoherently, Richard stormed around, snatching potion vials off the shelves, scrutinising each one in turn before discarding it carelessly.  Sirius winced as several were thrown to the floor, the vials shattering and the potions spilling across the flagstone.  Hours of work were destroyed in moments as Richard lost his temper, swearing and rampaging round the lab.

Ursa screwed her eyes shut, leaning against her brother fearfully, tears streaming down her face.  Sirius was at a loss for what to do.  Struggling against his bonds proved fruitless; the ropes simply tightened, cutting into his wrists.  

'Where is it?' Richard growled furiously, grabbing a jar of shark cartilage and throwing it full force into the wall.  He turned sharply, pointing at Sirius.

'You,' he hissed through gritted teeth.  'Where is it?'

Eyebrows raised, Sirius mumbled something through his gag.

Stomping heavy footed across the lab, Richard yanked the gag out his mouth.

_'Where is it?'_ he bellowed into Sirius' face. 

Working his jaw in an effort to regain some feeling, Sirius croaked, 'Where's _what_?'

'The _formula_, you imbecile!'  Richard dug his thick fingers into Sirius' shoulder, shaking him roughly.  'She can't have taken the only copy with her,' he snarled.  

'I don't know where it is!' cried Sirius.  'How am I supposed to know where she keeps everything?  I haven't been down here for ages!  It could be anywhere!'

Richard's face clouded, his eyes narrowing. 

'Really?' he said softly, looking sceptical.  'A possibility to be sure; but …' He raised his wand.  Sirius eyed it fearfully, his heart drumming inside his chest.  'Let's see if we can't jog your memory a little.  _Crucio!'___

*

Walking swiftly down the road towards her home, Andromeda mentally cursed herself over and over.

'I knew it,' she muttered distractedly.  'I just _knew_ I'd forget _something_.'

Upon arrival at the convention in London, Andromeda had been less than pleased to discover that she had left her speech-notes in the vanity drawer.  Mortified at the prospect of delivering a speech without them, she'd persuaded Amelia to stall for time while she went back home to fetch them.

The street was dark and the night air peaceful.  A cool breeze ruffled the hedges as Andromeda hurried across the road and turned up the path to the front door.

Trying the handle, Andromeda was most surprised to find it was locked.  

'How odd,' she muttered.  Richard's Volkswagen was still in the drive so they couldn't have gone out.  Stepping back, Andromeda looked round at the windows.  Some of the lights were on.  Why in Merlin's name had they locked the door?

Slipping her wand out of her handbag, Andromeda tapped the lock.

_'Alohomora,'_ she whispered.

The lock clicked and the door swung open.  Shoving her wand back out of sight, Andromeda went inside.

'Richard?' she called.  'I'm back!  I forgot my speech notes -'

Abruptly, she stopped, puzzled by how quiet the house was.  Lights were on, but it didn't seem like anyone was here.  The living room was empty.  

Andromeda stared as her eyes were drawn to the kitchen.  Through the doorway lay a scene of devastation.  Hurrying down the hallway, she pushed the door open wide.  She gasped in horror at the mess.

'What in Merlin's name happened here?' she whispered breathlessly.  

But her heart froze in her chest as she saw that the cupboard door was wide open; the laboratory's entrance exposed.

Plunging a hand back into her handbag, Andromeda whipped out her wand.  Cautiously she edged forward.  

How had it have been opened?   _How?_  She was the only one who knew how to open it.  Just her and …

'Sirius?' she called hesitantly. 'Ursa?'

To her horror, a faint cry reached her ears.  A cry of pain.  And it was coming from her son.

Panic rising in her chest, Andromeda practically flew through the entrance, barely registering that not a single fortification had gone off.  All the security spells were down.

The screams of agony died down for an instant, replaced by a gruff voice, shouting obscenities.  Leaping down the stairs two at a time, Andromeda stopped halfway down, frozen in abject horror by what she saw.

Down below, on the far side of the lab, were Sirius and Ursa, tied to chairs.  Richard had hold of Sirius' long hair, forcing his head back and screaming at him in a fury, holding a wand to his throat.

'I _told_ you – I _don't_ _know_!' Sirius shouted back hoarsely, his face screwed up in pain.

'Oh really?'  Richard's eyes were blazing menacingly.  Letting go of Sirius, he reached over and grabbed hold of Ursa.  She wriggled frantically and screamed.  'Perhaps _she_ knows?'

'No! Please -'

_'What is going on?'_

All three of them jerked round, looking up the stairwell.  Andromeda, mouth agape, stared in confusion at them.  

'Richard?' she said faintly.  'What - ' Her eyes widened in confusion, as though struggling to fully comprehend the implications of the wand in his hand.

'Mum, _run!'_ Sirius bellowed.  'Get out of here!'

Too late.  A hideous smirk flitting across his face, Richard raised his wand.

_'Stupefy!'_

Andromeda blocked the curse in the nick of time, but lost her balance. As she grabbed the rail to regain her balance, Richard shouted the Disarming Charm and her wand shot out of her hand.  Soaring through the air, it hit the floor, clattering and rolling away under the workbench.

'Ann,' said Richard, smiling coldly. 'How nice of you to join us.  I didn't expect you home so soon.'

'Richard, what is going on?' demanded Andromeda, eyes darting from her children to the man before her, pointing his wand at her.  'What is … why do you … how?'

'Mum, he's a wizard!' shouted Sirius.  The sound of his voice seemed to jerk Andromeda out of her daze.  She blinked, and then stared fearfully at her fiancé, the truth cutting through her confusion like a knife. 'He lied to you all this time!  He knew we were magic! He – '

'Silence!'  Richard roared, making a violent slashing motion with his wand.  A streak of black flame struck Sirius across his face; he jerked back, a long gash opening along his jaw.  Sirius hissed in pain as blood spilled from the wound, trickling rapidly down his neck.

Andromeda cried out in horror, clapping a hand to her mouth.  Standing frozen for a split second, she then pushed past Richard and ran to her children.  Dropping to her knees, Andromeda attempted to fling her arms around them both, and see to Sirius' wound simultaneously.   

'Oh my goodness, are you two alright?' she asked, tears welling in her eyes. Sirius, wincing at the still stinging gash on his face, gave a shaky nod.  Ursa whimpered in reply.  Frantically, Andromeda pulled at the ropes binding them.  'I'm so sorry, I should never have – '

Looking over her shoulder, Sirius tensed, eyes wide.

'Mum, look out!'

A heavy hand struck the side of Andromeda's head, sending her to the floor.  Gasping in fright and pain, she sat up, staring uncomprehendingly up at her fiancé.

'Richard, _what_ are you doing?' she asked, shaking.  It still hadn't quite sunk in.  It seemed impossible that this was happening; it was just a bad dream, a nightmare that she would wake up from at any moment.  'What do you want?'

Richard's face brightened.

'That's what I like to hear.'  Strolling casually over to stand before Sirius and Ursa, eyes still on Andromeda, he spun his wand in his hand.  'What I want is your formula for the Rejuvenation Potion.  If you'd be so kind?'  He held out his hand expectantly.

Andromeda looked aghast.

'That's my life's work!' she gasped.  'I'd never - '

'Never?' Richard cut across her, eyebrows raised.  'Well then, let me rephrase my request.'

With a furious sweep of his wand, Sirius was flung violently across the room.  Slamming into the shelving on far wall, Sirius cried out in pain and landed in a heap on the floor.  Hundreds of vials rained down on his head, some smashing around him, sending glass shards everywhere.

'Sirius!'  Panicking, Andromeda scrambled to her feet, her hand over her mouth.  'Oh my God-'

Turning his wand on Ursa, Richard turned, smiling as pleasantly as ever, to Andromeda.

'Now, are you going to give me what I want, or are your precious children going to pay the price?'

Andromeda looked between her daughter, scared to death and cowering, over to her son laying prone on the floor with his eyes closed and another cut on his forehead seeping blood from under his hair, then back to Richard.

Finally, it hit her hard that this was no dream. 

'Alright,' she said, shaking uncontrollably. 'Just, please, don't hurt them.'

'Certainly,' said Richard, once again extending his hand.  Slowly he lowered his wand and Ursa calmed ever so slightly, breathing in short shaky gasps.

Slumped on the floor, Sirius opened his eyes, and then closed them again as the pain intensified, pulsing through his head.  He could feel the blood trickling down his face.  Gently moving his limbs he was relieved to find nothing was broken.  Nothing except …

To his quiet relief he could feel that the chair had broken apart; the ropes were no longer restraining him.  Sirius twisted his head, trying to see.  He could just see Richard's broad back, blocking his mother from view.

Pulling his arms free of the ropes, Sirius looked at the potion vials all around him.  Many had shattered and spilled their contents, but some were still intact.  Silently as he could, Sirius slowly began to pull himself free.

Rummaging through her bag, Andromeda felt her hand brush over numerous items; keys, hairbrush, umbrella, a packet of breath mints, money pouch … but no parchment.

'I – I don't think I have it,' she stammered after a minutes fruitless searching.

'What?' said Richard, in a very dangerous tone.

'I must have left it back at the convention,' she explained timidly.  Seeing Richard's darkening face, she hastily added, 'B-but I have a sample of the potion with me.  W-will that do?'

Richard's expression softened to one of interest.

'Maybe,' he said slowly.  'Show it to me.'

Nodding, Andromeda delved into her bag again, searching.  After a few minutes, she pulled out a small, slender potion vial.  An auburn coloured liquid swirled within the glass, gleaming with the light.

A look of pure ecstasy on his face, Richard reached out a shaking hand for it.  Tentatively, Andromeda reluctantly placed it in his open palm.  Holding to him, Richard breathed a sigh of content, an uplifted expression on his face.

'At last,' he breathed.  'My Lord will reward me most graciously for this.'

'Fine,' Andromeda snapped impatiently out of fear.  'You have what you came for; now leave!  G-get out of my house and leave us alone!'

Richard chuckled.

'Yes, I do believe I shall.  However …' 

To Andromeda's continued dismay, Richard moved towards Ursa.

'No! No, please, you said you wouldn't!'

'I did say I wouldn't harm either of them,' said Richard, tapping the ropes.  The restraints fell away but Ursa was too frightened to move.  Taking her hand, Richard pulled her to up onto her feet.  'But I've always felt it's a very sensible idea to take out some kind of insurance,' he said with a cruel smile.  'Your lovely daughter shall be leaving with me.  If this potion of yours proves useful, then she will be returned to you, safe and sound.  If not …' He trailed off, enjoying the expression of intense fright on Andromeda's rapidly paling face.   

Pinning her to his side, Richard smiled paternally down on Ursa.

'Come, my dear; we're leaving.'

He turned to leave, just as a voice bellowed; _'Activus!'_

Before he even had a chance to turn his head, Richard was bowled over as Sirius ploughed right into him.  Both of them crashed to the floor, Richard's head slamming into the nearest cauldron, a hollow clang ringing loudly.  Sirius quickly slammed a hand onto one of the stones, feeling a surge of heat emanate from it; the spell was active. 

'Sirius!'  Andromeda yelled, reaching out and pulling Ursa away.

Rolling off Richard, Sirius hastily scrambled away across the floor between the cauldrons.  Richard, rolling onto his front, suddenly felt his hand sink through the floor.  His eyes bulged as the stone floor under his nose rippled.  Tugging at his arm, he fought against the suction; it was like quicksand.  With a grunt of effort, his hand came free – and he realised, with a thrill of horror, what he was no longer holding.

Eyes snapping up, Richard's face contorted into an expression of enraged fury.  From the other side of the cauldron, Sirius held up the potion vial with a mischievous grin.

'Why you little …' Richard growled, scrambling to his feet.  'Give me that!'

'Got to catch me first!' Sirius taunted.  Shoving the bottle deep into his pocket, he turned and ran, heading for the stairs.

'Sirius, no!' Andromeda shouted, but her son paid no attention.  Sirius leapt up the staircase, two at a time.  

Richard launched himself forward, bellowing like an angry hippo, skirting round the quicksand-stone trap, hot on Sirius' heels.

Leaping up the stairs, Sirius slammed his fist into the wall, shouted, _'Activus!_' and dived forward.  With another security spell activated, a swarm of darts flew out of nowhere – Richard yelled and threw himself to the floor, covering his head.  The darts embedded themselves in the wall, missing him by inches.  Smirking, Sirius scrambled away and up the stairs. 

'GIVE ME THAT!' Richard roared from down below.  Reaching the open door, Sirius hurtled through it, vaulted over a fallen chair and darted out into the hallway just as Richard reached the head of the stairs.

He ran for the front door, feeling the potion bottle banging against his leg, deep inside his pocket.

_'Impedimenta!'_

The hex struck his legs, bringing Sirius crashing to the floor.  He scrawled painfully, mere feet from the door.  His legs had lost all feeling; they were nothing but dead weight. Desperately, Sirius fought to move them, straining the muscles.  But they refused to respond.  Looking back over his shoulder, Sirius frantically renewed his efforts.

Poised in the kitchen doorway, was Richard, a most vindictive smile on his pallid face.  He aimed his wand.

'I warned you,' he whispered, his voice chilling the very air.  'I warned you, Sirius, but you're so slow to learn … and now you'll never have another chance …'

Heart pounding like a jackhammer, Sirius felt the fear take hold of his mind and body, freezing it beyond his control as Richard opened his mouth.

_'Avada Ke -'_

_Bam-bam-bam!_

Richard froze, jerking his head up, halting in mid-sentence.  A great hammering on the door sounded again, more insistently.

'Ministry of Magic!' an official sounding voice called out.  'Magical Law Enforcement – open up!'

Sirius could have collapsed out of sheer relief, but he didn't dare move.  He laid perfectly still, eyeing Richard fearfully.  Richard hadn't moved.  Staring at the door, he backed up a pace.  Then his cold grey eyes fell on Sirius once more.  

Sirius did not like that look.

The knocking came again.

'Come on out!' shouted another voice.  'We know you're in there! Open this door!'

Ignoring the orders, Richard reached for Sirius.  Making a last effort to get away, Sirius yelped in pain as Richard grabbed him roughly by the arm and pulled him up onto his feet.  A little of the feeling had come back to his legs but he staggered, trying to stay upright.   Spinning him around, Richard wrapped a powerful arm around his chest, pinning his arms.  Holding the wand to his throat, Richard hissed in his ear.

'Don't try anything, or I'll go back for your mother and sister, you understand me?'

Shaking like a leaf, Sirius nodded fervently.

Forcing him forward, Richard approached the front door.

'All right!' he shouted.  'I'm coming out!  Stay back!'

The front door opened slowly as he waved his wand at it, but quickly put it back to Sirius' throat.  They stepped outside.

Sirius' jaw dropped.

Ministry of Magic patrol cars were parked haphazardly up and down the street; blocking the road. Numerous Law Enforcement officers were everywhere, standing well back, each with their wands trained on Sirius and Richard.  By the fence to their right, the two officers who had been hammering on the door were poised, wands at the ready, having backed off to a safer distance.

One officer standing beside his car, holding a large purple megaphone, slowly lowered it from his face.  The man's face went deathly pale.  Sirius gasped in surprise, the feeling of hope flaring from deep inside him.

'Dad?' he whispered.

Richard jolted him roughly, silencing him.  Clearing his throat, Richard shouted, 'Stay back!  Or I'll kill him!  Put down your wands!'  

When no one did as he said, Richard jabbed his wand into the side of Sirius' neck.  Sirius squirmed, too scared to try anything.

Orion Black turned to his squad.

'You heard him,' he shouted.  'Put your wands down!'

Slowly, each of the officers did as they were told.

Richard smirked.  Prodding Sirius in the back, the two of them stepped out onto the driveway.  Sirius' mind was racing.  Where had the Ministry come from?  How had they known?

'Get back!' Richard ordered.  A few officers had edged forward.  'I'm warning you!  I'll kill the brat if you don't let me through!'

After barely a moment's hesitation, Orion ordered his men to fall back.  From across the street, he scowled darkly at Richard as he watched his son forced towards the Volkswagen parked on the driveway.

Yanking the driver's door open, Richard shoved Sirius ahead of him.

'Get in there,' he growled.  'Over the other side - move it.'

Obediently, Sirius clambered over to the passenger's side.  He immediately tried the door handle, not expecting it to be open.  To no surprise, it was locked.  Richard slid into the driver's seat.  Then, leaning out to shut the door, he aimed his wand high into the air and screamed into the night, _'Caecus tenebrae!'_

There was a deafening roar of wind and in seconds, an impenetrable darkness swirled around them, so thick it was impossible to see anything.  Panicked shouts, distant and muffled sounds could be heard from all around them.  Jets of light were set off, piercing the magically thickened darkness for only moments, before it swallowed the light up.

The car roared to life, and Richard stamped on the accelerator.  Bracing himself against the seat, Sirius squeezed his eyes shut, expecting any moment now to hear a tremendous crash and to be hurled through the windscreen …

But it didn't come.  Somehow, Richard could tell exactly where he was going.  Shooting out of the driveway, he spun the steering wheel, sending the car almost spinning into the side of a Ministry car as it loomed like a faint shadow out of the darkness.  People, screaming and shouting, dived out of the car's way as it forced a path through the crowd.

Blinded by the spell, Orion Black shouted for his men to remain calm.  Only the few closest to him heard the order, following instructions to cast an Illumination Charm.  The combined efforts dispelled some of the cloud, although not all of it.  But it was enough for Orion to see the Volkswagen force its way out onto the open road, sharply turning a corner and out of sight.

Diving back into his patrol car, Orion whacked his wand against the communications panel.  It lit up, signalling a connection with the Law Enforcement headquarters. 

'Attention all units,' he said, urgently.  'Requesting immediate back up. We are in pursuit of a rouge Death Eater; male, late thirties, short dark hair, driving a beige Volkswagen.  He is armed and dangerous and he has a young hostage; male, aged sixteen.  I repeat, we have a hostage situation, requesting immediate back up - '

* 

The engine roared, the noise unnaturally loud in the night air as the car drove at high speed through the outskirts of town.  Sirius watched the buildings disappear as they started down the twisting country roads.  Richard didn't slow down. Keeping his wand aimed sideways to Sirius' chest, Richard kept his other hand firmly on the steering wheel, turning each corner so sharply Sirius was genuinely frightened that they were going to roll right off the road and crash.

Panting hard, Sirius fought to remain calm.  

Tentatively, he felt the little bottle that lay in his pocket.  The potion his mother had spent her life creating.  The potion Richard was dead set on having, no matter what.

Gripping the bottle tightly, Sirius weighed his chances.  

An escape plan would be a good idea, but no spark of inspiration came to him.  Sirius knew very well that the only reason Richard hadn't simply murdered him was the simple fact that he still had the potion.  The instant Richard had it in his possession, Sirius would no longer be of any use to him.  That prospect was not one Sirius was keen on. 

Spinning the wheel, Richard swerved off the main road and down a narrow track lined with trees.  The road surface was covered in rocky bumps and dips.  The car bounced as it continued speeding down the road.

Bouncing precariously around in his seat, Sirius braced himself.  Flying through the windscreen was not the best option for an escape route.  Struggling to keep the car driving straight, Richard grabbed the wheel with both hands, wrenching it furiously.  He glanced back over his shoulder.  Sirius managed a brief glimpse of the rear-view mirror, but he couldn't see much.  The smug grin on Richard's face told him enough.  They weren't being followed.  Or if they were, then the Ministry were a fair way behind.  Sirius' heart sank like a stone.  What would happen if they didn't catch up and Richard got away?

The car rocked violently as the wheels struck a large bump.  Jolted right off his seat, Sirius flung up his hands to keep from going headfirst into the dashboard.  Something whacked against his feet.  Sirius hissed in pain as it caught his ankle sharply.  He glanced down.

There, rolling back under the seat and out of sight, was a Filibuster Firework.

Sirius stared, and then quickly jerked his head up.  But Richard hadn't noticed anything.  He was too busy directing the old vehicle round another sharp bend.

Time seemed to simultaneously speed up and slow down as a drastic plan took shape in Sirius' mind.

Feeling that he had little to lose if it went wrong, he carefully twisted in his seat, keeping a close watch on the road ahead, and the firework rolling around under his feet.

The road had straightened out a little.  The headlights shone through the thickening forest as they left the town behind them.  Eyes on the road, Sirius waited with baited breath.

Suddenly, the bouncing headlights illuminated another bend.  It was a sharp one.  Bracing himself, Sirius concentrated.  Richard spun the wheel –

'AARRGGHH!'

Richard bellowed as a long muzzle of sharp teeth sunk into his arm.  The huge black dog bit down and yanked Richard's hand off the steering wheel, and then raised a massive paw to knock the wand out of his hand.  Yelling in a panic, Richard didn't have more than a few seconds to wonder where on earth the dog had come from, when his wand fell to the floor – just as the Filibuster Firework rolled out from under the seat.  The dog released Richard's arm and tried to jump into the backseat –

There was a horrific explosion of sparks; blinding red and yellow sparks filled the car in an instant.  Mingled with Richard's scream was the sound of squealing tyres.  The car spun out of control, skidding off the road.

Padfoot had a fleeting glimpse of the ghostly illuminated trees outside as they appeared to spin, turning upside down and fly past the window before he was slammed violently back against the seat and his world went dark. 

The spinning sensation returned swiftly, as did Padfoot's sight.  His brain numb and his body sore, Sirius was vaguely aware that the car was no longer moving.   Blinking slowly, he lifted his head and promptly bumped it on the low roof.  No, wait a moment; it _wasn't_ the roof; that was the seat suspended above him.  

His brain starting to catch up a little, Sirius twisted his head round.  The car was upside down; the shattered fragments of the windows were all around him, the tiny shards catching what little light there was from outside.  The twisted interior of the car was crushed, barely leaving a gap between the roof and what used to be the backseat.

Sirius tentatively moved each limb in turn, even wagging his tail slightly.  Unwillingly, he let out a whimper of pain.  Unsure of what was injured, although it felt like it was his entire body, Sirius reached out with his front paws, digging his short claws into the torn upholstery, and pulled.  Dragging his large canine body out of the wreckage was slow work.  The shattered glass had left an opening through which he could escape, but wriggling out from such a tight space was not easy and very painful.  Several times, Sirius had to stop and draw back as an intense wave of pain rocked his body.  Growling furiously, he renewed his efforts, edging closer to the moonlit patch of earth beyond the crumpled door.

With a huge effort, Sirius scrambled out, collapsing a few feet from the twisted remains of the Volkswagen.  Laying on the cool hard earth, Sirius breathed in the sweet, woodland scent, feeling his heart gradually returning to its natural pace.  His paws were bleeding; the glass shards had sliced them as he'd crawled over them.  His entire body throbbing, Sirius raised his shaggy head to look behind him.

The car was completely wreaked.  Laying upside down in a deep depression in the earth, the bonnet had caved in, having met with a large, unyielding beech tree.  The roof was twisted and torn, and the sharp, serrated metal edges gleaming ominously in the twilight.

Nothing was moving.

Sirius felt a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature of the night.

He had survived.  But had Richard?  He couldn't see the driver's side very well, but from this side it looked well and truly crushed.  Was Richard still alive?  Or maybe he was just hurt, unconscious, perhaps?

Either way, Sirius didn't want to hang around.  

He looked up the steep embankment down which the car had rolled.  A number of young saplings had been mowed down, the slender trunks broken, some clinging uselessly to their stumps by the splintered bark.  The older trees had remained firm, some baring marks on their trunks from the car crash.  Skid marks marred the darkened slope.

Closing his eyes, Sirius tried to focus.  Slowly, his body changed back to human.  He cried out as a sharp pain shot up his leg and another across his shoulders.  Head pounding, Sirius gingerly got to his feet, turning once more to eye the wreckage.

For a brief moment, he considered going round to the front seat, just to see … just to check …

The world tilted.  Staggering, Sirius flung an arm out to the nearest tree to steady himself.  A cut on his forehead was bleeding profusely, as was his swollen lip. The cut on his jaw was still seeping blood and his chest felt tight, like he couldn't breathe properly.  Looking up the embankment, he knew it was too steep for him to try and climb in his current condition.  There had to be an easier route back up to the road.

Putting a hand to his pocket, he felt the small, smooth potion bottle resting against his leg.  It was still intact.  The potion was safe.  Sirius laughed nervously out of sheer relief, then stopped as his chest protested; he winced and drew a shallow, shaking breath.  But despite the pain Sirius forced himself to get moving.  He had to get away from here. Fast.  

The woodland was still and silent.  Edging slowly through the trees, Sirius strained his ears for any sound of the Ministry.  Surely they had tried to follow them?  Maybe they'd lost Richard in that clouding spell?  Had they gone the wrong way?  Sirius tried not to think about it too much – his head felt like it was splitting open.  So long as he got back to the road, he'd be fine.  

Pushing onwards, Sirius struggled through the darkness, peering about blindly, hoping for some sign of another stretch of road.

_Snap._

Sirius jumped, his heart once again beating out a drum solo against his ribcage.  He spun round, turning his head this way and that, eyes searching the shadows.  The trees loomed above him, almost blocking out the distant starlight.  A light mist swirled through the dark, shadows flittering all around.  Straining to hear whatever had made that sound, Sirius took a tentative step backwards.  He couldn't see anything.  The car was no longer in sight, swallowed up by the night.

He turned back round and carried on, forcing himself to move faster, though his body protested.  He started up a gentle slope.  But after a few steps, he had to stop.  Sirius clutched his chest.  Had he broken some ribs, he wondered?  The pain was mounting.  Hissing, Sirius clenched his teeth, practically falling against the nearest tree.  

'Going somewhere?' 

Sirius jerked his head round, and then gasped half in fright, half in pain.

About twenty feet down the slope, was Richard.  Sirius recoiled, clutching the tree, trying to move round behind it.  He stumbled on the bracken-strewn ground, nearly losing his balance.

Richard simply stood there.  A shaft of moonlight caught his face; a deep gash down the side of his face had left one eye half-open.  Dark blood dripped down his neck, but he appeared indifferent to it.  His other eye was narrowed dangerously, his face wearing such a demonic expression, Sirius' breath caught in his throat as he ducked back out of sight.

'You can't run, Sirius,' Richard called, his voice no longer smooth and measured, but vibrating with hatred and malice.  'Now give me that potion!'

'No way!' Sirius shouted back hoarsely.  He looked up ahead.  The trees were thicker off to his left.  If he ran, could he use them for cover and lose Richard that way?

Richard's scowl was clear in his voice.

'Give me that potion and I may consider making it quick for you!'

Sirius' stomach plummeted.  He heard Richard take a few heavy steps; it sounded like he was limping.  

Taking a deep breath, Sirius bolted.

'_Vulnus!_'  

A jet of dark blue light narrowly missed Sirius' head as he flung himself behind another tree.  Panting, he slumped to the ground, scrawled among the roots.  The pain in his chest was becoming unbearable.  Outrunning Richard was going to be impossible.

'Sirius!' Richard bellowed, his voice echoing in the night.  For a few moments, the only sound was his heavy, ragged breathing.

'Sirius,' he called again, this time in a slightly calmer tone that did not fool Sirius for a second, 'if you hand that potion over to me, I may reconsider … I'll let you live.'

Curled up among the roots, Sirius remained still and quiet.  He could feel the bottle resting in his pocket.  Exhausted and injured, the possibility of handing it over and returning home flashed through his mind.  But he knew he couldn't trust Richard … he couldn't … 

'_Sirius!'_  Richard held up his wand, aiming it at the tree Sirius was hiding behind.  'You've got five seconds before I hex that tree into splinters!  One … two … three …'

Richard paused.  Silhouetted by the starry sky behind him, Sirius crept into view, keeping one hand on the tree trunk for support.  His face deathly pale and smeared with blood, the teenager looked down on Richard, pale eyes glinting.

Richard's aim didn't waver, but his cold eyes watched eagerly as Sirius slowly put a hand deep into his pocket and carefully drew out a small vial.  

'Yes,' hissed Richard, gleefully.  'That's it.  Now give it to me.'

Sirius held up the bottle, the ginger-coloured potion shining as the light caught it.

'You want it?' he whispered hoarsely.

_'Yes,'_ Richard snarled, making frantic beckoning motions with his free hand.  'Give it to me!'

Sirius raised an eyebrow, a grim smile gracing his pale face and a spark rekindling in his eyes.

'Okay, then,' he whispered.  'Here … _catch!'_

Richard, mortified, as Sirius threw the bottle high into the air.  

_'No!' _he cried.

Staggered backwards, he raised his arms, hands clawing the air.  The bottle dropped …

'Ha!'  Richard crowed triumphantly as his hands closed on the fragile vial.  His eyes round with delight, he laughed manically. 'It's mine!'

'Oh, yeah?' 

Richard turned, squinting at Sirius, who was wearing an oddly smug expression.  He held up his hand.

_'Catch!'_

And a second potion vial was hurled through the air with such force Richard could only make an instinctive, wild snatch at the air. But he was too slow.  The flying bottle slammed into Richard's hand, breaking the first bottle with a tinkling smash.  The contents of both vials exploded outwards, soaking Richard's head and chest.  

Roaring with fury, he wiped his eyes frantically, stumbling.  He spat out a mouthful onto the ground.  Growling in a rage, he turned his terrible face to Sirius, who had slumped to the floor, clutching his sides, face screwed up in agony.

_'You!'_ Richard bellowed.  'I'll _kill_ you!  I'll -'

Abruptly, he stopped in mid-threat.  Eyes bulging, Richard clutched his throat, gagging.  Blinking hard, he suddenly let out a horrific cry of pain and clapped his hands over his eyes.  Startled, Sirius stared, unable to move.

Steam was rising from Richard with a portentous hiss.  The rancid stench of burning acid choked the air; Sirius coughed, his eyes watering and his nose stinging.  

Richard's screams intensified and he lowered his hands.  Sirius' eyes widened, his mouth falling open in horror.  And he let out a terrified scream.

Richard's face had turned black, as though burnt.  But more than that, the skin was rapidly turning grey-green in places, and bubbling, melting away.  Muscle was visible all along his cheek, and his jawbone, stripped off all living tissue, gleamed deathly white – he was decomposing before Sirius' terrified gaze.

Frozen where he lay, Sirius watched as the steam clouding the air around Richard turned black.  Coughing, Sirius struggled to move, but he could barely move without his body shuddering, the excruciating pain almost paralysing him.

'I'LL KILL YOU!' Richard screamed, swaying dangerously.  His upper body was starting to decay; already half his face was little more than bone and a few strips of muscle attached to his jaw, and his shoulder was blackening.  The potions dripped from his outstretched hands, eating away at the tissues.  The tips of his finger bones appeared as Richard staggered towards Sirius.

Panic mounting, Sirius gritted his teeth against the pain and forced himself up.  Richard, a crazy light blazing in his one remaining eye, lunged and grabbed hold of Sirius' foot.  With a cry mingled with fear and disgust, Sirius kicked out with his other foot.  There was a sickening crunch as it struck Richard's blackening chest.  Sirius fought not to throw up as the hand clutching his foot broke away from its arm.  The skeletal hand sizzled and fell away, the fingers twitching as it lay in the dirt. 

With a surge of renewed strength, fuelled by adrenaline and mounting panic, Sirius rolled over onto his hands and knees, and scrambled desperately through the undergrowth.  The half-rotted man gave an unearthly wail, swiping viciously with its other claw-like hand, just as Sirius shot out of reach.

Sirius paid little attention to the thorns and nettles as he sought an escape, but he only made it a few feet before the pain in his body climaxed and he fell face first onto the ground, breathing so fast, he thought his lungs were going to burst. 

Then, a chilling voice hissed from behind him.  

'_Siriussss …_'  

Against his better judgement, Sirius looked back.

Scrawled on the ground behind him, the rotting corpse that was once Richard, lifted a spindly arm, a wand held in the grasp of its bony fingers.  The hideous skull, with blackened remains of sinew and skin, leered mockingly at him, and a voice rasped from what remained of the vocal cords.    

'_Malignitusss!_' 

A flare of scarlet light illuminated the forest as the jet of light lanced through the air.  Sirius watched as though it were happening in slow motion, staring numbly as the curse flew straight at him.  The hex hit its target, slamming into Sirius' chest and sending him reeling as a force like electricity surged through his weakened body.  

The dying screams echoing in his ears, Sirius lay on his back, his mind failing to think … all awareness of his body, all the pain, was fading away.  His vision began to cloud over, the velvety black sky above swimming with hundreds of blurred pinpricks of light.  New sounds, voices, vague and distant, were coming from beyond his sight … 

Somewhere high above him, a single star, shining brighter than all, flared against the darkness, burning like the embers of a glowing fire. 

It was the last thing Sirius saw before the darkness claimed him.

*

The reception area of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries was almost deserted.  The clock on the wall behind the Enquiries Desk gave the time as quarter to one in the morning.  The plump woman seated at the desk was slurping noisily from her mug of coffee and reading a month-old-edition of Witch Weekly through bleary, half-open eyes.

Orion Black stood ashen faced in the middle of the room, alternatively pacing up and down the rows of chairs, sitting down heavily and fiddling anxiously with his hands, then shooting furtive glances up at the clock before resuming his pacing.

Hovering by the Enquiries Desk, Andromeda flittered about in a daze, her blank eyes wandering without achieving any real focus on anything.  Every few minutes she approached the witch behind the desk, looking desperately pale and worried, but her silent question remained unanswered.  The witch behind the desk cast half a glance in her direction, and shook her head.  There was still no news.

Turning away, Andromeda wandered dispiritedly back over to Orion, and walked right past him like she had no idea he was there.  Orion kept his eyes on the floor.  Facing the wall, Andromeda put a hand to her mouth, and gave a dry sob.

Orion lifted his head.  Andromeda's shoulders were shaking.

'Andromeda?' he said softly.

She did not reply beyond another sob and several sniffs.

Slowly, Orion got to his feet and went to her.  Gently, he put his arm around her shaking shoulders.

'Hey, shh,' he whispered, holding her against him.  'It's okay.'

Tears streaming down her face, Andromeda shook her head miserably.

'No, it's not,' she croaked, rubbing her eyes.  'This is all my fault.'

'Don't say that.  That's not true …'

'Yes, it is,' said Andromeda, blinking furiously.  'If I hadn't gone out, this might never have happened.'

Lip quivering, she buried her face in a sodden handkerchief and wailed.

'I can't believe … Richard wasn't … I never thought … but now … was so stupid – should have realised … if only I'd … but I didn't … and now …'  

Her muffled voice trailed away and she broke down in a fresh wave of tears, clinging to Orion who wrapped his arms around her.

'They'll be alright,' he said, in a voice of forced optimism, though he failed to completely mask his fear.  'You'll see.  They'll be fine.'

Maybe by repeating it enough times it would help Orion to believe it, but his heart felt heavy.  Ursa was currently being checked over by one of the Healers, just as a precaution they said.

But Sirius …

Orion closed his eyes.

Several long minutes passed in silence, punctured by Andromeda's sniffs and half-suppressed sobs.  

A door swung open.  Orion and Andromeda quickly turned and looked up.  A short, dark witch with thick curly hair and wearing lime-green robes had just emerged through a set of double doors at the far end of the reception area.   She looked down at her clipboard, then up at them both.

'Mr. and Mrs. Black?' she enquired, quite unnecessarily as they were the only two people in reception.

Andromeda gave a jerky nod, eyes wide and searching the Healer's face for some clue of what she was going to say.

Striding towards them, the Healer offered a tired smile.

'I'm Tallulah Almoner, Healer in Charge on the night shift,' she said.  Orion nodded a greeting, still holding his ex-wife steady for she looked pale enough to pass out.

'Is there any news of my children?' Andromeda asked, clutching her handkerchief fearfully.

Almoner swiftly cast her eye to her clipboard, then said, 'Ah, yes, your daughter, Ursa, is fine.  We've run several tests but there's nothing physically wrong besides a little exhaustion.  We've treated her for shock, just to be on the safe side and she's now resting. But we'd like to keep her overnight for observation.'

'She's okay?' Andromeda repeated, her face lighting up.  'Oh, thank goodness.'

'She'll be able to return home tomorrow,' said Almoner, smiling.  

'What about my son?' said Orion, his face etched with grave concern.  'Is he alright?'

Andromeda's relief from the news of her daughter faded rapidly, and she gazed imploring at the Healer, too afraid to ask.

Tallulah Almoner's smile faded, and she consulted her clipboard once more, turning to her second sheet of parchment.  Orion held his breath.

'I'm afraid,' said Almoner in a heavy voice, 'that he's still in surgery.'

'He's been in there for over two hours!' cried Andromeda, her face taunt.

Almoner gave her a genuinely sympathetic look.

'It appears that the injuries he sustained are more extensive than we first thought.  Don't worry, we've got our best Healers working on him right now.  I even Flooed our head Healer, Samuel Medulla; he Apparated straight here and should be going into the operating theatre shortly.'

Far from being reassured, Andromeda gave a fearful whimper, gripping Orion's arm so tightly his fingers were growing numb.

'But will Sirius be alright?' Orion asked again, more firmly.

Almoner's smile faded away.

'It's very much touch and go at the moment,' she said regretfully.  'I'll let you know if there's any change.'

Sighing, Orion dropped his gaze to the floor, and nodded.

'Thank you,' he mumbled.

The Healer left, passing back through the double doors.  They swung closed, the swish and thud sounding far too loud and unreal.

'Come on,' said Orion, gently steering Andromeda in the direction of a seat.  'Sit down before you fall down.'

They sat down, side by side, and lapsed into silence once more.  Andromeda was tearing her handkerchief to pieces, apparently oblivious.  Her pasty face was screwed up in misery, her eyes full of tears. 

'I yelled at him,' she cried abruptly, looking horrified.  'The last thing I did was yell at him – oh, Orion, what if I never see him again?'

Distraught, Andromeda shook her head and allowed Orion to hold her to him, whispering to her.

'Don't say things like that,' he said softly yet firmly.  'Sirius is a fighter, I know he'll be alright … just give him a bit of time … he'll pull through …'

'I won't get a chance to say how sorry I am,' wept Andromeda, not having listened to a word.  'I never meant to scream at him like that … I'm so sorry, and I can't tell him … too late …'

Gulping for breath, she buried her face into Orion's shoulder, her arms around his neck.  Beneath her touch, she felt him shaking too. 

With tears threatening to spill from his eyes, Orion blinked hard, gazing at the clock.  Holding onto each other, they waited.

*

_Darkness …all around …no, not entirely … tiny specks of light danced before him, shooting overhead, leaving spidery trails of fading light behind them like a cobweb.  Shades of light and dark swirled, moving back and forth like a powerful ocean wave.  He was swimming.  His limbs were heavy.  They weren't responding.  He was drowning.  Muffled sounds, distant and faint.  Straining to listen, words began to form, echoing strangely. _

_' …give it …'_

_' …my  life's work …'_

_'Rather die …'_

_Voices – they weren't making any sense.  He turned to look, but there was nothing but shadows._

_'Run.'_

_'Please, Star?'_

_'Siri!  Wait for me!'_

_Glimmers of light shone beyond the shadows, shimmering like rain …_

_'Brat…'_

_'Need help, don't hesitate …'_

_'Knew you'd be a problem …'_

_'Owe you a lot …'_

_The shadow was growing thicker, more tangible.  It turned.  The faint outline of a monstrous dragon was forming. The glowing red eyes stared unblinkingly through the gloom.  It opened jaws._

_Beware the Emperor, it hissed, the eerie sound echoing into the endless void._

_Spinning around, the darkness closed in -  _

_'Devil worship!'_

_'Punishment -'_

_'Taught a lesson!'_

_'Kill you …'_

_'Malig -'_

_Light flared among the darkness.  An orb of brilliant white glowed, growing in intensity.  The shadows recoiled, holding back._

_'There's you!'_

_'Power of healing …'_

_'Ceased to exist …'_

'Come on, Sirius.'

_'Doggie want a sweetie?'_

'We need more help, where's -'

_'It's not nothing,'_

_New voices – where were they coming from?_

_The dark dragon was closing in, flaring its huge wing.  Its dark was breaking up; only the skeleton remained.  The light was fading fast. _

'_Find that they regret it -_ '

_'Mistakes … punishment … way it is in my circle …'_

_'You lied to me!'_

'We're losing him!'__

_'Kill you …'_

_'Give it to me …'_

_'Deal with you …'_

_'Broke your promise!'_

'… heart rate's dropping.' 

_'Listen to me …' _

_'Lying tongue … rip it out …'_

' … that – hurry!'

_'Remember what I said …'_

_Confused.  All this noise … wasn't making sense.  Where to turn?  Light and darkness on either side …voices calling to him …_

_'Anything you need …'_

_'Kill you …'_

_'Believe it or not …'_

_'Give it to me!'_

_'…but we _are _your friends …'_

_'Siri!'_

_The light was growing stronger; the dragon hissing angrily.  It was backing off._

_'Owe you a lot …'_

_'Power of healing …'_

'That's it, Sirius!  Stay with us!' 

_'Worth a million failed formulas …'_

_'Kill you – give it to me!  Malignat -'_

_'Come running - '_

_'Don't cut yourself off like that …'_

_'Give it!'_

_'You hear me?'_

_'There's you!'_

_'Sirius, no!'_

_The Shadow!  He could sense it, feel it behind him.  He tried to run.  It was coming for him.  The light was too far away …_

_'Catch!'_

_'I'll kill you!'_

_'Sirius, no!'_

_'I believe you.'_

_'Wasn't your fault …'_

_'Why are you lying to me?'_

_'Promise me …'_

_'Won't leave you …'_

'Nearly there! Keep going everyone!' 

_'Promise.'_

_'Extremely proud …'_

_'Won't leave you …'_

_Screams of death reverberated through the darkness – something was right behind him, seizing him, trying to turn him … to lead him back to the darkness … a voice hissing in his ear._

_'KILL …Malignat - '_

_'I believe you.'_

The light exploded, engulfing everything … the darkness disappeared … and the screams faded away …

*

Everything was blurred.  All around him, shades of white and green swam in and out of focus.  People were leaning over him.  Several bright lights overhead were dazzling him.  Sirius gazed blearily ahead.  He tried to speak, but nothing came out of his mouth.  There was something over his face, blowing air into his mouth.  His body felt numb and strangely distant, like it was no longer his own.

Someone, a stranger, leaned over him, their face masked.  A hand gently touched his face.

'He's awake!' came a discordant voice.  A relieved cry sounded from somewhere above him.

Movement … disorienting movement.  Sirius' head was spinning.  A slender wand passed over his face, and another voice, another stranger, said, 'This isn't over, keep at it.  He's not out of the woods yet.'

Closing his eyes, Sirius gratefully returned to unconsciousness, and felt no more.

*

'They say he regained consciousness at some point during the surgery.'

'Is that a good thing?  I mean, for him to wake up in the middle of it?'

'Well, they took it as good sign that he was fighting hard.  They weren't sure for a long time if he was going to make it at all.'

Voices again.  Lying motionless and surrounded by darkness once more, Sirius listened, trying to make sense of them.  They were close by.

'His parents are so worried.'

'I'm not surprised!  He was knocking on death's door when he came in.'

The voices were both female, and unfamiliar.  A gnawing sensation was growing in the pit of his stomach.  A dull ache was spreading through his body.  He was lying on his back, Sirius deduced easily enough.  But where was he?

His eyelids felt so heavy, like something was weighing them down.  He couldn't seem to open them, though he could see a light shining through them.  Concentrating, Sirius tried again.  

'Course, the little girl's fine, she went home a few days ago.'

'Such a dear little thing; did you see her?'

'I could hear her screaming for her brother, wanting to know what had happened.  There's certainly nothing wrong with _her _lungs.'

The voices laughed, but it was short and it trailed off as though they had given it a second thought and didn't really think it funny after all.  One sighed.

'Well, if he doesn't wake up soon -' She suddenly broke off, leaving a tense silence.  Her companion noticed.

'What?'

'Good Merlin; he's awake!'

Sirius blinked blearily up at the ceiling, squinting against the overhead light.  Shifting restlessly, he tried to turn his head slowly.  His neck was stiff and he could feel something wrapped round his head, making it hard to move.  

A woman in lime-green robes appeared so quickly at his side he could have sworn that she'd Apparated.  She bent over him.

'Mr. Black?' she asked, her eyes travelling over his face.  'How do you feel?'

Sirius stared up at the stranger, apprehensively.

'Where am I?' he croaked, his voice hoarse and his throat sore.

'You're in St. Mungo's,' said the Healer soothingly.  'Don't worry, you're quite safe.'  She looked over her shoulder.  'Sarah, fetch Medulla, quickly!'  Footsteps hastened away and a door closed.

'What happened?' said Sirius wearily.  He felt exhausted.

'You don't remember?' asked the Healer anxiously. 

Sirius frowned, brow furrowed in concentration, but his head hurt too much to think straight.   His memory was as blurry as his sight.  No recollections came to him.  He tried to sit up, but stopped almost immediately with a cry of pain, and the Healer pulled out her wand.

'Try not to move!' she insisted, sending a stream of light green sparks swarming over him.  Sirius lay still as a numbing sensation spread over his aching body.  'Now, you just lie still and get some rest.  Healer Medulla will come and see you shortly.  I need to report to Almoner.'

Sirius didn't even attempt to nod.  Making a soft noise of understanding in his sore throat, he closed his eyes once more and the Healer hastened from the room.

* 

Almoner, who constantly assured them that while their son had finally woken up from his coma, Sirius was still very weak and visitors should not stay long, lest they tire him, led Andromeda and Orion up to Sirius' private room.

Andromeda was marching along so fast that she was a few paces ahead of the Healer, peering anxiously through every doorway they passed, hoping to catch a glimpse of her son.  Orion remained silent.  He was preoccupied by what the Healers had told them a few days ago after Sirius had come out of surgery.

The Healers had explained that Sirius had been hit with a potently lethal curse, the Invidiosus Hex, one that was well known among Dark wizards, and it was extremely lucky that he'd been found so quickly and Apparated to the hospital.  If he hadn't been rescued literally within minutes … well, the Healers didn't have to elaborate on the only possible outcome.  Orion silently berated himself.  If the squad had got to him even a minute sooner, then Sirius might not have been hit in the first place. 

No one was sure why the car had crashed.  It was assumed that it had simply taken a corner too fast, skidded on the mud and fallen down the embankment.  But whatever the reason, Sirius had taken more than enough damage from the crash without the curse.  Several cracked ribs were the least of his injuries.

'Here we are.'  Almoner indicated an open door.  The sign on it read; _Intensive Care – Private Room 12_

Both Andromeda and Orion hesitated for a second, as though frightened of what they might see.  But then, slowly, they stepped over the threshold.

The room was a pale blue, with long blue curtains draped over the window.  A single bed was set in the middle of the room.  A great number of medi-potions were assembled on the nearby table.  Parchment charts hung on the wall above the bed, white quills skating across them, recording vital statistics for temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and some other results Orion wasn't sure he wanted to check.

What drew their gaze was the figure on the bed.  Lying motionless on his back with his eyes closed, Sirius looked strangely frail and delicate.  The areas of his skin that weren't covered in blue-black bruises were deathly pale. A long, deep cut tracing the line of his jawbone was healing slowly, and would probably leave a scar. A thick bandage was wound tightly round his head.  The thin covers of the bed were pulled up over his chest, but another bandage was visible, encircling his upper body.  His arms were covered in bruises and half-healed scratches.  Only the slow, steady rise and fall of his chest gave any indication that the body on the bed was alive.

Her face taunt, Andromeda glided like a ghost across the room and lowered herself onto a chair by the bedside.  Gently, she took one of Sirius' icy hands into her shaking ones.  

'Sirius?' she whispered.  'Can you hear me?'

Sirius didn't respond.

Orion sat down on his other side, and let out a ragged breath, turning to look enquiringly at the Healer, who was standing in the doorway.  Almoner smiled.

'He's just asleep,' she assured him.  'He'll wake up again soon, I'm sure.'

She left to give them some privacy, saying that her office was just down the corridor if they needed her.

Orion and Andromeda sat in silence for a while, simply gazing at their son, and wondering.  

Then, Andromeda gave a little gasp of surprise, a smile flashing over her face.

'Sirius?'

Orion sat up straighter.

'What?' He leaned forward anxiously.  'What is it?'

Andromeda leaned over the bed, gripping Sirius' hand tightly.

'Sirius?  Star?  Can you hear me?  It's Mum.'

A soft moan escaped Sirius' lips.  He stirred, and then slowly opened his eyes.  The pale blue eyes blinked uncomprehendingly up at his mother.

'Mum?' he murmured. 

Andromeda beamed at him, tears welling up in her eyes.

'Oh, Star, are you okay?  How do you feel?'

Sirius paused in thought, his pale eyes wandering.

'Tired,' he said, finally.

'You've been asleep in a coma for nearly four days,' commented Orion, forcing a nervous laugh.  'How in Merlin's name can you be tired?'

'I just am,' protested Sirius, with a tired smile.  He winced, closing his eyes.  'What hit me?'

'Don't you remember anything?' asked Orion.  He and his ex-wife exchanged fearful glances.  Did he remember nothing at all?   The Healers had said they wouldn't be sure if there had been any damage to his brain until some tests had been conducted.

Sirius kept his eyes closed.

'I remember … bits,' he mumbled.  'I was in the woods … car crashed … and …'

His eyes snapped open, suddenly fearful.

'Richard,' he croaked.  'What – where is he?  W-what happened … did he …'

'Sirius, calm down!' said Orion, placing a large hand on Sirius' shoulder to keep him from rising.  'Don't worry; Richard isn't going to hurt you here.  You're quite safe.'

'But … what …'

Sirius' voice trailed off.  Drifting in and out of unconsciousness, he hadn't really been able to think anything through, and his memory of what had happened was hazy.  Vague snippets had returned, but the full story was still eluding him.

'I – I don't remember …'

'I wouldn't worry too much about that,' said a voice.  'Your memory should return in due course.  In the mean time, you need to rest.'

A Healer had entered the room.  He was a tall, young-looking man with light brown hair and horn-rimmed glasses perched on his long nose.  The tag on his lime-green robes named him as S. Medulla.  He strode forward, stretching out a hand to shake Orion's.

'Samuel Medulla,' he introduced himself briskly.  'I helped to operate on your lad.'

Andromeda eagerly leaned over the bed to wring his hand, a tear in her eye.

'Thank you,' she said, sincerely.  'We were so afraid that we might …'

She trailed off, casting a furtive glance down on Sirius.  Sirius raised an eyebrow at the Healer.

'You are a very lucky young man,' said Medulla to Sirius.  'If your father hadn't found you in time, you might not have made it.'

Sirius couldn't turn his head very far, but he looked up at his father as best he could.

'You found me?' he repeated, confused.  Another scrap of memory abruptly came back.  Sirius' eyes widened.  'Where did you all come from?' he asked, stunned.  'How did you know …'

'Someone made an urgent Floo call to the Ministry,' said Orion.  'Said that she'd seen two children being forced into a house at wand-point and she feared for their safety.  Of course I recognised the address, and got the squad out there immediately.'

'Who called you?' said Sirius, frowning.  Who had seen them?

Orion shrugged.

'I don't know.  I didn't take the call; I was in my office when Peggy, my secretary, passed it on to me.'

Medulla was going round inspecting each of the charts, making additional notes on his clipboard.

'I'm afraid we've still got to run some tests to check for any disturbances to the brain tissue, any permanent damage and so forth,' he said, tucking his quill behind his ear and pulling one of the charts of the wall for a closer look.  'But everything here appears to be fine so far which is very encouraging, and providing the tests come back clear I'm confident that you'll make a full recovery.  But you will need to stay here for at least a week -'

'What?' Sirius exclaimed weakly.  'But I feel fine!'  In a vain attempt to prove his point, Sirius tried to sit up, but both his parents made gasps of horror and he grimaced in pain and slumped back down onto the pillows.  Medulla wagged a finger at him.

'Now, there'll be none of that, Mr. Black.  You took quite a beating and you are not going to heal overnight.  There is some internal bruising that should be just fine, _if _you rest.  I would advise against getting up too soon.  You cracked three ribs and you were very lucky that you didn't puncture a lung!'

'Punctured a lung?' Sirius muttered under his breath.  'Bloody well felt like it.' 

'Sirius,' said Andromeda sternly.  Sirius lowered his eyes and mumbled an apology.  His mother's expression softened, looking almost guilty.  She gently brushed his long hair away from his face.

'I'm so happy you're alright,' she said, her voice suddenly as croaky as his own.

Sirius smiled, his eyes drooping.

'I believe he needs some sleep,' said Medulla to Orion and Andromeda.  They both nodded, Orion standing up.  

'We'll be back in the morning,' said Andromeda quietly to Sirius who was already drifting off to sleep once more.  He mumbled something incoherent, before becoming still.  Reluctantly, Andromeda laid his hand back on the bed, and rose from her seat.

*

The next day, Orion and Andromeda returned to St Mungo's to find Sirius sitting up in bed, attempting to complete the _Daily_ _Prophet_ crossword.  When they entered the room, he looked up and immediately discarded the paper, a wide smile spreading over his face.

The bandage from his head had been removed, but the wound was still visible.  Andromeda stared at it, a sad expression clouding her pretty face, her gaze slowly travelling down to the slash wound along his jaw, which was healing well.  

'I'm okay,' said Sirius, noticing where she'd been looking.  'The Healers got the results back; they say my brain's not addled or anything.'

'How are they going to be able to tell the difference?' said a cheeky voice.

'Ursa!'

Sirius beamed as his sister came bouncing into the room, carrying a large bag of grapes, smiling broadly and clearly fit and well.  She dumped the grapes unceremoniously onto the bedside table, and hesitated for a moment, before flinging her arms around her brother.

'Ursa, be careful!' cried Andromeda, fearfully.

But Sirius gritted his teeth and ignored the pain in his chest as Ursa hugged him fiercely.  

A soft tapping sounded on the door.  

'Is it safe for visitors?'  A head of messy black hair peered round the doorframe, followed by the rest of James, then Lily, Remus and Peter.

'Hi Sirius!' said Lily, darting in first, armed with a large box of Honeydukes chocolates.  'How are you feeling?'

'I'll be feeling much better soon, I'm sure,' laughed Sirius, his eyes fixed on the chocolate.

'You'll be feeling sick if you eat all that,' said Andromeda sternly.  She stood up and waved her wand, conjuring extra chairs for the Marauders.

'We come baring gifts!' announced James, dumping a bag at the foot of the bed.  

'Us too!' 

Sirius turned to the sound of the shrill voices, catching a brief glimpse of two small blonde heads entering the room, quickly followed by Mrs. Fennel.

'Charlotte!  Victoria!  Slow down!  You mustn't run in the corridors!'

'Sorry, mum,' chorused the twins.

Orion stared around the room, chuckling, waving his wand to add a few more chairs.

'It's getting rather crowded in here.  Isn't there a rule about the number of visitors allowed in here?'

'Probably,' said Irene, smiling and sounding quite unconcerned.

'Well, we all want to hear what happened, don't we?' said James, before Orion could suggest that they abide by the rules.  'And I don't think Padfoot wants to tell it twice.'

'No, I don't,' Sirius agreed.  His throat was still sore, but the Healers had given him a soothing potion to drink every hour and since everyone was now settled in their seats, eagerly listening, he began to relate the entire story.  

Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius watched his mother grow steadily paler as he recounted each confrontation with Richard.  Several times, he saw Andromeda shook her head slightly, covered her mouth with her hand, a haunted look settling in her eyes as she listened, horrified, to the events of the summer that had escaped her notice.  Her reaction did not escape Orion's notice however.  

The Marauders, on the other hand, were hanging onto every word, occasionally scowling darkly in response to the beatings they'd already heard about, looking stricken by the threats Richard had made but clearly awaiting to hear the fate of the tyrant that had made their friend's summer a living hell.  

Mrs. Fennel held her both daughters close to her, looking absolutely appalled.  Charlotte and Victoria were unusually subdued, listening quietly and sharing uneasy looks. 

Sirius carried on, silently appreciative when Ursa sat herself on the bed beside him and slipped her hand into his.  When Sirius eventually reached the part about Richard taking him hostage and leaving the house, he paused and turned to his father.

'But I still don't understand how you all turned up when you did.  Someone Flooed the Ministry?'**__**

'Ah, yes, that was me,' Mrs. Fennel said shyly.  

'You saw what happened?' asked Sirius, sitting up straighter.

Mrs. Fennel shook her head.

'No, I'm afraid _I _didn't, but Charlotte and Victoria did.  They were playing downstairs when they looked out of the window, and shouted for me.  I was taking a bath and didn't pay much attention at first, but they kept calling for me and by the time I got downstairs, you'd already disappeared. The girls told me what they'd seen and I called the Ministry.  Only I said that I'd just seen you because I thought that might make them hurry, rather than take the word of two six-year-olds.'

Charlotte and Victoria were grinning toothily, looking very pleased with themselves.

'We brought you a present,' said Charlotte brightly, pleased to create a break from the morbid storytelling.  Victoria jumped down off her chair and picked a large cardboard box up off the floor.  Mrs. Fennel took it from her and set it on Sirius' lap.

'What's this?' said Sirius.  The lid wasn't sealed.

Mrs. Fennel smiled enigmatically.  Curiously, Sirius lifted the lid off.

A small furry black face popped up over the edge, bright green eyes sparkling.  

'Cosmic!'  Sirius cried delightedly, and the cat sprang out on to his master's lap, purring.

'He showed us,' Victoria said to Sirius.

'Showed you?' repeated Orion, confused.

'What was happening,' said Charlotte.  'He sat on the window sill and cried until we looked.'

'Completely scratched the windowpane, I might add,' said Mrs. Fennel, glaring at the cat now curled up beside Sirius.  She lowered her voice.  'I know there's probably some silly rule about animals in a hospital, but …' She smiled mischievously and put a finger to her lips.

'I think I may have had a bad influence on you,' Sirius said with an appreciative smile, stroking the silky fur, and tickling Cosmic under the chin. 'I wondered what happened to you,' he said to the cat.  'I was worried that you might have got hurt.'

'So what happened next?' prompted Remus.  'After Richard got you in the car?'

Returning to the story, Sirius carried on, carefully editing the part about transforming into Padfoot and chewing on Richard's arm, making it sound like the car had simply taken the corner too fast and skidded off the road.  Then he related the confrontation with Richard in the wood.  When he told them all about breaking the potion bottles and described the effect of them on Richard, Lily, Andromeda and Irene Fennel all clapped their hands over their mouths.  The Marauders stared open-mouthed, Peter looking faintly green.  Orion was the only one not shocked by the revelation.

'We found the … er, _remains_ at the scene,' said Orion.  'Not much of him left.'

Lily clutched her stomach uncertainly, exchanging a look of revulsion with Peter.

Andromeda smiled sadly.

'Well, the important thing is that you're safe,' she said.  She sighed heavily.  'I know you tried to keep that potion from him … but, well, it doesn't really matter; I can always try again.'

'What do you mean?' asked Sirius.

'That was the only sample I had,' said Andromeda.  'I'll have to start all over again.  Richard took several important sections of my formula notes from the lab, and they must have been destroyed with him … I didn't make a complete copy, so the part I took with me to the convention isn't of much use -'

'What happened to the convention?' asked Sirius, frowning.  'You came back really early.'

Andromeda gave him a sad smile.

'If only I'd come home sooner …' she said softly.  'Well, I'd forgotten my speech notes, so I came back to fetch them.  Not that I went back after what happened … I left Amelia and Donna there and they did the presentation without me; they told me it went very well.  Healer Suture was very impressed with the research we'd done and wants to have a more in-depth discussion with us about it at a later date, providing, of course, that I can recreate the formula's exact specification. If I still had that potion sample, I might be able to figure it out again, but now that that's been destroyed …'

Sirius raised an eyebrow, letting out a small bark-like laugh.

'No, it hasn't.'

Andromeda jerked her head up, staring disbelievingly at her son.

'What?  But you said … you broke it; you threw it at him …'

'I threw _a_ potion at him,' said Sirius, a cheeky grin creeping across his face.  'I never said it was your formula.'

Everyone was staring at him.  Andromeda's eyes were wide and her mouth had gone slack.

'Sirius,' she said slowly, 'are you saying …that my Rejuvenation Potion … wasn't lost?'

Sirius shook his head, and then stopped because it hurt.  

'It should still be in my pocket.'

He indicated the small chest of drawers beside the bed, in which his clothes had been put.  Andromeda pulled open the drawer, found Sirius' jeans and turned the pockets inside out.  

To her amazement, she drew out a crystal vial of an auburn coloured potion, the contents gleaming under the lights.

'Never underestimate a Marauder's slight of hand,' said Sirius smugly.  'I grabbed a few other bottles up off the floor. One of them was one of your failed formulas.'

'And the other one?' asked Orion.

'Phoenix tears.'

'So,' said Andromeda slowly, as though working it out gradually in her mind, 'you mixed that formula with the phoenix tears and …' her eyes widened, putting her free hand to her chest.  'Oh, my goodness.'

'What?' said Orion, looking rather confused.

'The effects of that batch were completely unstable,' said Andromeda.  'When I tried an experiment with phoenix tears, the desired effect became somewhat reversed.  Instead of reversing the age of unhealthy cells and restoring them, the potion increased the age of healthy cells and brought about premature decomposition at a startling rate.'

'I remember you saying something about how badly that potion reacted to the tears,' Sirius explained.  'I didn't realise they'd do _that_ but …'

'It stopped him, so why argue the results?' said James, staring avidly at Sirius.  'Very sneaky, switching the potions.'

'I didn't think he could see them clearly, it was so dark,' said Sirius, shrugging.  He leaned back against the pillows and helped himself to a grape.

'When are you coming home?' asked Ursa.

'The Healers said by the end of next week,' said Sirius, swallowing the grape.  

'Just in time to go back to school,' said Lily, smiling.

Sirius gave her a sour look.

'Thank you for reminding me.'

'Haven't you done your homework?' said Orion, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.  

'Er, well …' said Sirius, smiling rather guiltily.

'Don't worry, Padfoot,' said Remus, reaching into the bag the Marauders had brought with them.  'We brought you this.'  And he held out a scroll of parchment.  Sirius groaned.

'You brought me my homework?' he said in disbelief.  'After everything I've gone through, you think homework is an appropriate get-well present?'

'After everything you've been through, I don't think you should have any difficulty with this,' said James. 

'Your Potions homework,' stated Lily, passing it to him.

Sirius' mother frowned.

'Sirius, you _still_ haven't finished your homework?'

'It's only that one piece left!'

Andromeda did not look satisfied with that as an excuse.

'Don't worry, Mrs. Black,' said Lily.  'We can help him finish it.'

'Help him?' said James. He looked oddly put out.  'Don't think he needs it.'

'What do you mean?' Sirius looked blank.

'Haven't you read the assignment?' asked Remus.

When Sirius shook his head, Remus rolled his eyes, plucked the scroll out of his hands, unfurled it and held it out for Sirius to read.

_Potions essay – Describe, with detailed examples, the dangers of incorrect brewing, the potential effects of poorly administered elixirs and the risks to physical and mental health._

Sirius read it through twice before turning to look sheepishly up at his mother.

'Well, that's not going to be a problem – makes a damn change!'

The Marauders laughed.  James folded his arms, smirking.  

'So you won't be asking for my help this time, hmm?'

'He doesn't need help in botching up potions, James,' said Andromeda, trying to look stern, but a smile was playing on her lips.

Sirius looked positively delighted.

'Finally!  You know, I never thought you'd ever appreciate my abilities in potion-brewing, or lack of, I should say.'

Andromeda stopped trying to suppress her smile and laughed.

'You can ruin all the potions you want, Star – just so long as you try your best.' 

Wrapping her arms around him, Andromeda held Sirius to her.

'Just promise me one thing?'

'Sure.'

'Don't take it up as a profession.  It wrecks havoc with your personal life.'  Andromeda let go of him.  She looked down at the little bottle of potion resting in her palm.  'So much trouble over something so small,' she said softly.   'I almost wish I hadn't started this.'

'Don't say that,' said Sirius.  He frowned at his mother's reproachful look.  'That potion could help a lot of people.'  

'It's still not ready, not really,' admitted Andromeda sadly.  'There's still a lot of work to be done.'

'It's a worthwhile project and you should stick with it.  I risked my neck for that stuff!' said Sirius, forcing a laugh and tapping the vial.

His mother gave him a wry smile.

'I know you did,' she said softly.  'And because of this … because of me … you nearly … you almost …' Her lip quivered.  'I nearly lost you.'

The tears began to fall.  Putting a hand to her eyes, Andromeda's shoulders shook.  Sirius stared.

'Mum?  Don't cry … I'm okay.'

Taking Cosmic off his lap and shifting himself over on the bed, Sirius put his arms around his mother, completely oblivious to the other occupants of the room.  Anxious to give them some privacy, Lily motioned to the boys; they quickly got up and crept out the door.  The Marauders hesitated just outside, and then set off down the corridor, Lily whispering something about getting a cup of tea and leading them away.  Mrs. Fennel followed suit, quietly herding her daughters out of the room and closing the door behind her.  Cosmic jumped off the bed to the floor and settled himself under the nearest chair out of the way.

Orion stayed where he was, watching his ex-wife and son, almost wistfully.  Without a word, he drew Ursa closer to him, draping an arm around her slender shoulders.  Andromeda continued to cry silently.

'Mum,' Sirius whispered.  'I'm okay, you heard the Healers.  I'll be out of here next week.'

'Then you'll be back off to Hogwarts and I won't see you for months,' moaned Andromeda.  'I've never been able to see either of you as much as I would like to … work always got in the way.  I should have made more of an effort … what if we had lost you; I never got to spend much time with you, finding out what's going on in your life … I might never have got the chance to say I'm sorry.'  She sniffed and tightened her grip.  'This is all my fault; I should have know … I should have listened to you, but I didn't, I was too wrapped up in my work and with, with that _monster_ … I thought he loved me but he never did.  He was just using me and I was so _blind_, I couldn't see what was right in front of my eyes.  I didn't believe my own son … and because of me you - you suffered so much, trying so hard to deal with it alone when you needed help the most and it's entirely my fault!    If you had … had died,' her voice broke and wavered out of control, 'I'd never have forgiven myself.'

Breaking down in a fresh wave of anguished tears, Andromeda held her son ever tighter, like she never intended to let him go again.  Sirius ignored the near-strangulation of the embrace and instead wrapped himself in a renewed feeling of contentment, satisfied that, at long last, things might be starting to return to a state of normality.

Finally, Andromeda released him and pulled back.  Her eyes roamed over Sirius' face, the self-blame evident in her gaze as she looked at each of the visible wounds marring his skin and Sirius knew there was little point trying to convince her that she could not accept full responsibility for what had happened.  In her mind, the blame lay entirely with her and nothing anyone said would be likely to alter her opinion.  Sirius' heart sank.  Any anger he'd felt at her betrayal failed to justify itself.  It felt heartless to lay all the blame on her, not now she was so filled with remorse.  

Wanting to get off the subject, Sirius cleared his throat and cast around for another topic of conversation.  However, Almoner knocked on the door and stuck her head inside.

'I'm afraid visiting hours are up,' she said gently.   

Orion got to his feet. 

'Well, I'd best be off.  Sirius, I'll be back tomorrow morning.  Do you want anything?'

'Yeah, something other than homework to do!' Sirius held up the offending parchment with a grimace.

Orion chuckled.

'I'll see what I can find.  Bye sweetie.' He kissed Ursa on the cheek.  Looking down at Andromeda he paused, and then added sombrely, 'Take care.'

'You too,' she said, hesitantly, avoiding his eyes.

With a last smile for his children, Orion turned and left the room.

Sighing, Andromeda picked up Ursa's coat.

'Come on, dear, time to go.'

Looking crestfallen, Ursa obligingly put it on.  

'Sirius, don't worry if you aren't fit enough to go back to Hogwarts immediately; I'm sure Dumbledore would understand,' she said, managing to keep her voice reasonably steady. 'And in the meantime, do try to get that homework done,' she added.

Smiling, Sirius rolled his eyes, and nodded.  A small smile tugged at her lips as Andromeda leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

'We'll come and see you tomorrow, okay?'

Sirius nodded and lay back against the pillows.  Almoner escorted Andromeda and Ursa out of the room, Ursa turning back to wave before disappearing round the corner.  The door swung closed.

The velvety black sky beyond the window was alight with stars.  All the constellations of the heavens glittered high above, sending a soft glow onto the world below.  Among them, one star shone brighter than all.  Creeping out from under the chair, Cosmic leapt back up onto the bed.  Curling up beside his young master, Cosmic purred.  Sirius stroked the animal's silky fur, wondering what the Healers would say when they found the little animal on the bed tomorrow morning, and smiled.  Settling himself comfortably on the pillows, Sirius lay there for a little while, his eyes watching his star and anticipating a peaceful night's sleep, with the contented purrs of his cat lulling him to sleep.

*

#An extract from 'The Healer's Medical Journal' yearly report.#  

_Throughout this past year, it has been increasing obvious that exceptional advances in the field of Potions must be lavishly praised, for recent vaccines and formulas have succeeded in the alleviation of many symptoms of currently incurable diseases; among them, two strains of the Aegritus virus and Falk's Disease, both of which have proved fatal for many sufferers._

_In contrast, proposals that have been put forward regarding the continued experimentation in the suppressant nature of the feral side effects caused by involuntary metamorphosis have been met with fierce conflict and enmity.  _

_Based on the original study by the late Andromeda Stella Black (1935-87), Director of the Potions Research and Development Union, suggestions that the application of her successful baseline theory of re-growth and re-establishment of healthy cells could result in the redirection of mental and physical control to the sufferer's cerebral cortex, away from the foreign wild and predatory impulses that have long been suspected to be uncontrollable. It remains to be seen whether or not such a potion will be procured successfully, given that the original Rejuvenation Potion formula, invented by A.S. Black, was never known to completely rectify diseased cells in spite of many successful laboratory experimentations and its application as an aid in the healing of internal wounds.      _

_Sceptics and anti-nonhuman campaigners have opposed the notion as unrealistic and outrageous respectfully.  Yet, preliminary tests have shown surprising and enlightening results.  Voluntary test subjects have exhibited some small degree of control and rational behaviour when receiving the treatment.  Work on what has been dubbed the Wolfsbane Potion, (due to it's main component and it's association with the plants' usually extreme allergenic effects on victims of lycanthropy,) is ongoing despite the project being under-funded and opposed by many groups._

_Florence Nutrix, January 1990. _

_*_****

**~Finis~   **

*****

**Please review this chapter.  All comments and constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated.  Thank you all for reading.   **

*****

**Author's Notes.  **

There you have it!  _Heart of a Star _is now complete.  ^_^  I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  I'm certainly very pleased by the responses and comments in the reviews everyone has left me.  Now, without the continued efforts of my Beta reader, this fic wouldn't have been half as good as I hoped it would be – so endless praise must be bestowed upon **Lil Lupin**!  She's a great author and I highly recommend all of her fics.

If anyone has any questions about this fic by all means put them in a review or e-mail me.  I will leave answers to any questions in the author's notes of my next fic; it's a Ginny songfic entitled _'Not the Perfect Match'_ which I hope to post about mid-December.  I'll be doing a lot of short pieces while I'm working on my next novel-length fic. (No title yet for it but details and progress on it shall be noted on my bio page if anyone is interested.)

**NightSpear – **I'm sorry, you must now come out of the denial state; the fic is complete.  Of course, you can read it all over again if you want to!   I know some people were thinking about the possibility of Richard being a wizard – it was hard trying to keep everyone in the dark about it.  I don't know how JK Rowling manages to drop so many hints without making it obvious as to what's going on.  Anyway, thank you very much for reviewing so many chapters, I hope you'll enjoy my other fics just as much. ^_^

**Sheya – **You were correct in your assumption that Richard was a Dark wizard and after Andromeda's potion; the fact that she mistook him for a Muggle and he used that as a cover against any wizarding investigation into the break-ins at her main laboratory, thus when he had to act as a Muggle, ignorant of magic, he pretended to think and act like it was nonsense or devil worship which is a common reaction from many people.  If he had revealed to Andromeda that he was a wizard, she would not have been likely to show him her lab or what she was working on; break-ins and thefts put her on her guard around magical people – if confidential information is leaking out, you don't want to give it another opportunity via your partner; magical or Muggle.

I could have posted earlier, but I'm in the habit of posting on Friday's and that's when people expect to see an update.  I don't like posting at unpredictable times; readers would miss updates and it's a hassle checking up on fics that may or may not have been updated.  Friday evenings (or Saturday mornings at the very latest) is what I try to stick to; but if I miss one for some reason, then I'd rather wait until the next Friday.  

I love scribbling things down; my only problem is trying to read my own handwriting afterwards!  It's so messy.  I'm typing up all my notes for my next fic; just to see if that makes organising it any easier. 

Thanks for reading!

**Sweet A.K – **Richard a Malfoy?  Not a bad idea.  I never thought too much about his family (you'll notice I never actually mention a surname for him!) but he's nasty enough to be related, or at least a friend of the family.  Evil git; hope you like his 'demise' – because I certainly did. ^_^

**Christy – **Yep, the worst is over now.  It's doubtful that Andromeda would ever be completely forgiven, by Sirius or herself.  Her guilt over it is pretty strong.  Still, Sirius didn't die, Richard is no longer about being an abusive git and things can start going back to normal. ^_^  I hope you liked the ending.

**Black Rose9 – **Thank you very much for reading and giving me all your comments!  Did you like the ending?

**Sirius' sweetie – **Yes, Richard was a Dark wizard; he was masquerading as a Muggle all this time.  (Bloody difficult to keep it quiet while dropping a few hints.)  And, hey, Sirius did transform into Padfoot and took a chunk out of the git's arm!  Bonus is, Richard is no longer around to tell anyone what Sirius can do. ^_^  Everything worked out okay in the end.

Sirius and Ursa were going to try and make it to their neighbour's house, Irene Fennel.  She's the only witch in the area and only across the road.  Obviously they didn't get that far, but they got away eventually.  

You wanted this to be longer?  I tried but I couldn't stretch it any further than twenty chapters.  My next long fic is just that; l-o-n-g!  I'm plotting out the chapters at the moment and I think I'm going to end up with about forty chapters at most.  Would that be long enough for you?? ^_^   It's a sequel to my first fic 'Tell No Lies' which is my version of Harry's fifth year, written long before OotP was published.  TNL follows on from GoF, then my fic 'Take It Back' can be read, although that one is optional (I just wrote that one for fun more than a sequel).  The new fic (Part3) will be covering Harry's sixth year, also staring several new characters, Remus and Sirius.  (OotP is not relevant to this; you'll need to ignore all the events of book 5, otherwise you will be very confused as to what's going on and why a certain dead character is still around!)

I will be noting any progress on Part 3 (as it will be known until I decide on a title) on my bio page, such as how many chapters have been written and when I expect to start posting. So if you're interested you may like to keep an eye out for it. Hope to hear from you again some time!  ^_^

**Nie Starwhistler – **Yep, Richard is one nasty Death Eater, pretty peeved off at having to pretend to be a Muggle for months.  Well, I hope all the reasons and motives were explained adequately in this chapter. ^_^  Thank you very much for reading!

**Orion-San – **I've only seen my name used in a fic twice, and that was because I was staring in it!  My friend Yoda wrote two fics with several fanfic authors as characters; lots of fun!  I wish he'd write another one.  (Hint-hint Yoda!)  Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the fic; hope to hear form you again!

**Prongs4 – **Oh on! Quick – flee from the cheese-eating monkeys!!  ^_^  (And I thought I was strange?!)  I'm sorry for the cliffhanger, but I can't resist having them!  It's great to see the reaction they get from readers.  And no, Sirius' mother does not turn into the mad old lady in OotP, not in my version.  Heart of a Star was completed just as book 5 was published and there was no way I was going to amend the entire story to accommodate what we now know of Sirius' childhood.  I don't think I could have made it work; especially as Grimmauld Place is so well hidden, how do you get a 'Muggle' not to question the existence of it?  Not to mention the House-elf.  Nope; never would have worked.  I guess this fic could come under the Alternative Reality / Universe category because of that.  Thanks for reading!

**Katty – ***nods vigorously* Richard's true nature has been revealed at last.  And Andromeda finally learnt the truth.

**Quiteona – **Hi there!  Hey, I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to e-mail you; this last week has been ridiculously hectic and I didn't get to check my reviews until yesterday.  If you really want me to help you out with anything, then I'd be more than happy to!  I'm flattered that you would ask. ^_^  If you get a chance to write first, my address is in my bio.  I'll write as soon as I'm able to. *battles with younger brother for the use the Internet!!* 

I'm really glad that some readers didn't catch on that Richard was actually a wizard; I was very worried that I'd made it too obvious.  Some people were guessing it far too early on!  As for Ursa, I heartily agree that she sounds too young for her age.  I ought to have changed it to her being a first year instead.  Well, bit late now! 

Yes, I can be very cruel with the cliffhangers – they're my favourite writing tactic!  Because then lots of people give a review threatening / pleading for another up-date!   Aw, and I'm grateful that you would get your friends to read my stuff.  That's really nice of you! ^_^  Hope to hear from you soon.

**Enna seawave – **I can get everything into the fic by making the last chapter a very long one! ^_^  Sorry, that was the last one – but at least I can get going on my next project now!

**O.o – **Thank you very much for reading!  I'm glad you really liked it and I appreciate all the praise. ^_^ I get embarrassed when people say such nice things about my work.  Hopefully this final chapter fulfilled any expectations.

**Yoda – **Okay, well, in place of face rearrangement, we have nasty flesh eating, speed decomposition resulting in a painful, sticky death!  How's that?  Plus Sirius bit him hard just before the car crashed – so how's that for payback? ^_^  Sorry about nearly giving you a heart attack.  If you want big duels, just wait until I get my next novel length fic up!  Lot's of action chapters planned. ^_^  I can't wait to get round to reading 'What If'; had an exhausting week, I just want to crawl into bed and go to sleep – couldn't keep my eyes open if I wanted to. *Slumps over the keyboard, snoring*  Hope to hear from you really soon!

**Inu lover – **In answer to your question, yes, I do practise martial arts; I study Ju Jitsu (hence why I had Remus demonstrate it) and actually passed my yellow belt exam (second level) this week.  I'm very pleased with myself!  Still a long way off a black belt, but it's getting there.  Yep; Richard is both Dark and a Death Eater – how could I not include something Voldemort related?  He's on the rise in this fic, so there had to be some influence.  Hope you enjoyed the final chapter and thanks for reviewing! 

Once again, thank you to everyone who read and reviewed!

~Voltora~


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